The Crystal Clause
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: Crys does not like Christmas and it's often the time when she acts like a rebel. When she is sent to the North Pole, she meets Jack Frost. Will spending time with him change her ways? Or will she only act more rebellious against Christmas? R&R!
1. Christmas Trouble

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy, nor do I own any ideas, characters, or places from this trilogy. The only character I have claim to is that of Crystal. Otherwise, I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N:** Okay, so I wanted to write a story that is kind of 'Christmassy'. In that way, this is my second Christmas-like fanfic (the first one I did was for **House M.D.**, check it out!). Actually, this is the first time I am writing for this trilogy. Still, I hope I do a good job and perhaps the readers can review afterwards and tell me what they think of my story. Beyond that, enjoy the story (and Merry—early—Christmas!). 

"**The Crystal Clause"**

**Chapter One: Christmas Trouble**

"Crystal, you have to leave. I can't take much more of this…this…tomfoolery anymore." Crys Miller stood with her arms crossed and a clear look of disbelief written on her face. She was standing near the top of the staircase while her mother, Laura Miller, stood angrily at the bottom. Neither one noticed Lucy, who had recently crouched at the top of the staircase to eavesdrop on the bitter conversation. Every now and then, Lucy's eyes would wander to the window where the white winter snow could be seen falling from the dark night sky. Crys and Laura did not notice the white snow; they were busy shooting darts out of their eyes, even though Crys broke eye contact with her mother to roll her eyes dramatically. She couldn't help the smirk that quickly slid over her normally attractive features.

"Tomfoolery? That's the best you can come up with? I'm sure I've done more damage than that and the only word you can think of is tomfoolery?" Laura ceased Crys's ranting with a furious expression. Crys's face returned to its previous defiant look before Laura continued.

"Whatever it is that you do. Either way, I don't want it in my house. I don't want _you_ in my house. In fact, I'm going to make sure that you're gone from this house by tomorrow."

* * *

_**Earlier that evening…**_

Crys trudged through the white, powdery snow next to her best friend, Rachelle. The two—as usual—were up to no good, and now they were sneaking through the night into the main part of the town. Rachelle led the way—this was her plan, after all—and Crys eagerly followed closely behind her. It had sounded like a good idea at the time, at least up until the time Crys got caught. Still, the two made their way quietly through the darkened streets towards the gigantic tree that was placed in the center of the town and never stopped glowing brightly, even at midnight. In fact, it was the only exceptionally bright object in the town at that point. There were few cars going around that late at night, and all the shops were closed down and completely barren. It was almost a joke to keep sneaking around, especially since there really wasn't anyone to catch the two anyway.

Rachelle stopped next to the towering tree, with all its golden lights and holly. Crys immediately dropped the heavy bag she was carrying over her shoulder. Rachelle gazed up at the tree and then turned to Crys with a mischievous smile spreading over her face. Crys couldn't help but to grin back at her, the details of their secret plan still spinning in her head. You see, Crys was the popularly known mischief maker in the town and, more than that, she wasn't exactly fond of Christmas. Neither was Rachelle. Now, the two faced the decorated tree and felt ready to carry out their plan.

"Ready? This is going to be the best thing we've ever done." Crys nodded enthusiastically before opening the bag. She took out two metal saws, ones that were said to be extremely powerful. Rachelle had stolen them from her father's tool shed earlier that day. Rachelle gently took one from Crys and walked around the tree until she was on the other side. Crys found the other saw and zipped the bag again. Looking back up at the tree, she figured someone must have put a lot of effort into decorating. In truth, Crys and Rachelle would get into heaps of trouble if they were ever caught. Crys felt her stomach drop a bit and she chose to voice her concerns instead of swallow them foolishly.

"Are you sure we should be doing this, Rach? I mean, if we get caught doing this, there's always the option of jail." Rachelle peeked around the large tree and, to Crys, she appeared annoyed by the sudden worrying.

"What, is the infamous troublemaker scared this time? Plus, you won't get caught. Especially if you use your fast escape route. You know, the one that cops don't know about? Well, most of them anyway. We won't get caught." Crys felt the twisting in her stomach fade a little. A slow smile reached her face as she approached the other side of the tree trunk.

"So…you found out about my escape route, huh? How much has Lucy actually told you?" Rachelle started digging her saw deep into the wood while Crys was still preparing to do the same thing. It was only after she began cutting into the tough wood that Rachelle answered in her light voice.

"Well…the only surprising thing she told me was that you 'jump on rooftops at night'. Supposedly, I'm the first one that she's told." Crys sighed and felt a spark of irritation hit her. She was going to have to convince her little sister to keep her mouth shut from now on, even though that was pretty much impossible for a young girl such as Lucy. Crys couldn't help the note of anger in her own voice as she responded to Rachelle's words.

"Yeah, well let's try to keep it that way. It won't look good for me if my little sister is babbling about how I 'jump on rooftops'. Though I have to admit, she is pretty smart if she hasn't told my mother yet." Rachelle's high-pitched laugh was heard from the other side of the tree, followed with the uneven sound of their saws chopping away at the tree. After a half hour, Crys could feel uncomfortable blisters forming on her palms and the weight of the saw was getting to her. It was a relief when Crys felt the saws reach the midpoint of the tree. She took another long glance at the top of the tree and again noticed how high it really was.

"Rach, which way do you think this tree is going to come down? I don't really feel like getting caught underneath it." Rachelle's face came around the tree again and she scowled loudly.

"Will you just stop worrying for once? Trust me; we'll be out of here before it even crashes to the ground." Crys nodded even though Rachelle had disappeared behind the tree again. A new thought came to her mind.

"Hey, Rach, you know that popular philosophy question? 'If a tree falls and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?' Do you think anyone's going to hear this tree falling?" Rachelle didn't bother stopping the process of cutting this time; they were coming so close to getting their task over with. Her voice came from behind the tree after a moment, and Crys imagined she was pondering over that same question.

"Well, we'll just see, won't we? Of course, we'll hear it perfectly. Let's just hope no one else does." At that instant, Crys watched as the tree swayed a little to the right, then to the left. They were almost done and this thing was going to fall hard. Crys felt her saw digging deeper into the wood and, finally, Rachelle stopped and stood back from the tree. She studied the Christmas tree as it slowly swayed back and forth. The tree leaned farther to the right and Crys was sure it would topple right then and there. Instead, it stayed tilted for a minute, but Crys could still see it moving inch by inch towards the blanketed, snowy ground. She stared at Rachelle with a suspicious look crossing her face, wondering what Rachelle was thinking about doing now.

"Now…?" Rachelle reluctantly turned to Crys with a look that suggested that Crys was brainless for not figuring this out already. She grabbed up her saw and threw it into the bag before kicking it back to Crys.

"Now, we run like hell." Rachelle spun around and darted off without checking back on Crys. The tree kept leaning and Crys knew it was time to go. She wrapped her hands around her saw and tugged, but the saw refused to come away from the wood of the tree. Crys felt her heart start to pound as she struggled with the saw again. She couldn't leave it there; she would get caught for sure. Still, that tree was coming close…Crys moaned and hurriedly swiped up the heavy bag, forgetting all about the saw that was still protruding from the huge Christmas tree. Behind her, she heard a deafening crash and she knew the tree had finally met the ground. Now that she thought about it, someone would definitely notice that sound, especially since it was dead quiet tonight. Even so, she shook the realization off and ran as fast as her legs would allow. She headed for one of the dark stores and slipped behind it cautiously. Time for her escape plan.

Her escape route was really an excellent one. Only a few people knew about it, and those people included Crys, Lucy, and now Rachelle. Not even the police had figured this one out. How did they think she was pulling this stuff off at night? Usually, people wouldn't even realize this route was possible for escape unless you already knew about it. It was even more difficult to attempt in the dark. Luckily, Crys had used it countless times. Now, she stood near a thin space that was located between two of the empty stores. She carefully squeezed through the space, which led to a larger section behind the two stores. High above on one of the walls of the stores was a metal ladder. Crys aimed for it and grabbed onto the ladder's rungs, but she ended up dropping the large bag. Looking down at it, she knew there was precious time to waste in going back down for it. Shaking her head, she lifted herself onto the roof of the store.

It was easy for her to maneuver across the roof of the store. Once at the edge of the roof, Crys fearlessly leaped over the gap between the next two stores. Her plan had always been to use this route, especially since—after a few minutes of jumping—she would land a street away from where her house was located. Crys landed the last few jumps over the stores and found another small space in between the last two buildings. She dropped down to the concrete below and, like the original entryway, was forced to squeeze through a thin space that led to the open street. All she had to do was run across this one street and she would be home, safe from any policemen and the fear of getting caught for her Christmas crimes. It was such a good plan…until Crys got caught coming out of the small space, where she bumped into two waiting policemen.

Crys's mother had no choice but to bail her out; unless she wanted it known that her oldest daughter would be going to jail. Crys was dragged back to her house by her furious mother, earning a discouraging lecture on the way home. Crys later found out that Rachelle had set her up to get caught, her excuse being that she was doing everyone a favor by catching the 'troublesome girl that was creating havoc in the town'. Crys had forgotten that the only thing besides Christmas that Rachelle despised was to be away from the spotlight; she always needed the attention and would not sacrifice it for anyone else, including her best friend. So, with her mother angrily starting an argument with her, it was settled that Crys would inevitably be leaving.

* * *

"Your attitude causes nothing but catastrophe in this house! I have given you another chance by bringing you back into this house, but now it is time for you to leave, Crystal. I just can't take any more of this behavior!" Laura glared at her oldest daughter, now feeling nothing except contempt for her. She had tried to establish a family relationship with her again, overlooking the last time she had lived in the house and shown a rebellious attitude, and this was the last she could take. Clearly, bringing Crys back into the house did not make any difference to her. Crys stepped down a bit and put on an even more gruesome look, but she refused to say anything. Laura continued, throwing her arms up in annoyance. "I swear, you were born as the rebel child and Lucy was born the innocent child. I don't even get you half the time, Crystal." Now it was Crys's turn to act offended towards her mother, still oblivious to the fact that her sister was listening.

"That's because you literally place a halo over Lucy's head! Every single time she does the littlest thing and it's 'Oh, look at Lucy!' and 'Why can't you be as sweet as Lucy?' You know what? She's completely childish! For God's sake, she still believes that the North Pole actually exists and that Santa will make everything better by bringing her gifts! Guess what? That doesn't ever make anything better! Nothing could make this situation better!" Crys turned to start up the stairs and she caught sight of Lucy, who was now tremulous and appeared about ready to cry. Crys watched as Lucy ran for her room with one arm over her eyes and could almost feel the scorn coming from her mother's eyes. She stormed into her own bedroom and slammed the door hard enough for her mother to flinch. Still standing in the same angry position, Laura came up with an idea about what to do with Crys. Even though Crys was unaware of it, she was going to be taking a lot trip to the North soon. Maybe that would take a toll on her personality. Laura could only hope as the clock struck half past midnight and the snow continued to fall harder than ever.


	2. Sibling Rivalry

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy, nor do I own any characters, places, or ideas associated with this series. In fact, the only character I own is Crystal; otherwise, I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **The second chapter is here! First off, I would like to thank the readers that have left me reviews and I hope you will continue reading my story! Also, I am sorry it took a while for me to update; I've been kind of busy these past few days. I think this chapter is longer than the first one! Anyway, thank you and enjoy the next chapter! 

**Chapter Two: Sibling Rivalry**

It was eerily quiet the next morning, and it put Crystal on her guard from the minute she woke up. She half expected that she would open her eyes and discover that she was now somewhere completely different, that her mother might have come up with a scheme to get her out of the house while she was sleeping. Instead, she was in the room she had once known when she was younger. Looking around, Crys realized how little things had changed; she had never known her mother to care to the point of keeping Crys's room the same after all these years. It reminded Crys of those types of mothers who could never sever ties with any of their child's possessions if the child ever suddenly disappeared or became absent in a household. She had actually forgotten the majority of the details of her room.

The first thing Crys saw was her small desk that was littered with tiny objects like dolls, pictures, bears, Christmas trinkets, all those kind of useless things. Well, they were mostly useless to Crys now. There were the soft, blue curtains that had always lifted easily with the wind during a warm summer day and looked as icy as the snow outside when Christmas came around. Her walls still held posters of old bands that had seriously gone out of style and familiar pictures of celebrities Crys had once adored. The last thing Crys noticed was the guitar that rested near the wall of the closet. Crys's mother had bought it for her when she was about twelve, a year when Crys was intent on learning to play the guitar like a rock star. She instantly remembered strumming the guitar after having unwrapped it one Christmas night and she had been determined to stay sitting on the living room floor until well past midnight. She recalled that she had never made it past ten.

Crys suddenly had the urge to play that guitar again, to connect with a part of her old self that she had let go. Plus, playing the guitar when she was younger had always made her feel better when things were turning out wrong. Grabbing up the guitar, Crys settled back onto her comfortable bed and ran her fingers over the old strings. Music immediately reached her ears and she almost felt ready to smile at that moment. After getting the feel of the guitar again, she spent a few quiet minutes playing "Stairway To Heaven", which was one of Crys's favorite songs. She had learned how to play it on guitar when she was almost thirteen. Crys stopped playing, again wondering why everything was so quiet in the house; it was almost noon already and Crys was sure she had heard a few footsteps in the kitchen below. Crys threw aside the guitar when she heard Lucy's bedroom door creak open and small footsteps moving into the hallway. She just remembered the situation with Lucy, how her oh-so-innocent little sister had reported her 'escape route' to Rachelle. Now was good a time as any to speak to her about it, especially if her mother was out of earshot. Lucy appeared to have woken up only moments ago since her normally sleek, red hair was untidy and frizzled. Lucy hadn't even noticed that Crys was standing in her bedroom doorway. Crys swiftly came up behind Lucy and scooped her up, intent on dragging her back into Lucy's bedroom, no matter if she was kicking and screaming. Crys quickly released her grip on Lucy and managed to lock the bedroom door tight before actually facing the upset little girl.

"You brat! You were talking to Rachelle again! I know you told her about my escape route, too!" At first, Lucy seemed to misunderstand what Crys was saying, and a look of confusion filled her face. Then an even stronger expression of recognition passed over her simple childish features and her eyes began to take on that special sparkle, the one she got whenever she was seriously interested in something. The only gesture Lucy made towards Crys was a small shrug.

"Oh, well Rachelle's really nice. We were only talking for a few minutes. It was last week when you two stayed out until early in the morning. That part kind of slipped out." Lucy's expression changed to one that made her look like a small puppy that was showing off huge, pitiful eyes. A sad look crossed Lucy's face and Crys figured the kid was feeling bad for what she had said. Still, her loud mouth had almost landed Crys in jail; she had to take her anger out on someone.

"Slipped out? Rachelle is the exact reason why I was caught last night and almost arrested. She set me up after _you_ mentioned my escape route. She had cops waiting there for me and she even went as far as to tell me that it was _you_ in the first place! Your only excuse is that it _slipped out?"_ By this time, Lucy's eyes became much sadder and she was clearly afraid of how Crys was reacting. More than that, Crys was starting to raise her voice, even though she knew her mother was sitting downstairs in the kitchen. Crys impatiently waited for Lucy's response. The next time Lucy spoke, her already delicate voice had dropped to a nearly inaudible whisper.

"I'm sorry, Crys. I didn't think it would cause any trouble or anything. I didn't mean to make you mad." Crys took a deep breath and stared at her little sister. Lucy had to be the most innocent, naive little sister, but it really was disheartening to see Lucy act this way, so scared and upset. Crys shook off her anger and paced a bit before changing the subject. Crys remembered that Lucy also had a knack for eavesdropping as she had done the night before. Perhaps there was a good chance that Lucy somehow overheard what their mother was planning to do about Crys.

"Lucy, did you hear Mom say anything, like about how she was going to get me out of the house?" Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment, as if she were pondering over her response to this particular question. Then, her eyes returned to the familiar brightness that Crys knew she showed off at least a thousand times a day.

"Well…I heard Mom talking on the phone to someone after you went to sleep. She said that she wanted to send you away for a while. I heard that she was going to send you somewhere far away. At least, that's what she said on the phone." Crys grabbed Lucy's shoulders lightly and gazed into her excited eyes. Crys had to figure out what their mother was planning to do, if anything at all. Maybe it would be like last time, where she was sent away for years before being considered in this family again.

"Where? Did she name a state, a country, what? Where did she say she was sending me, Lucy?" Crys's little sister's eyes glowed brighter then ever as she put on a huge grin.

"Crys, she's sending you to the best place ever! She's going to send you to the North Pole!"

* * *

It was old news that Crys detested the thought of Christmas with all its colorful decorations, silly carols, useless hopes, and ridiculous presents that lacked any real value whatsoever. She had stopped believing in the story of Santa Claus when she was still a young child. Her parents had gone along with it, as every other parent does with their child, but Crys never felt any genuine belief in the imaginary figure. She didn't care for any unexpected presents, since her parents never really knew what could make her happy anyway, besides the one year when she received a guitar. Snow globes and Christmas trees were showy and definitely a sight to see at one point, but Crys didn't pay much attention to them for long, hence the act of toppling that huge tree. There was nothing about the holiday that struck Crys's mind anymore. Above all, she had created her own mantra that discarded all beliefs that came with the December season: there was no such thing as the North Pole. To hear her little sister insist that this was Crys's new destination was just unbelievable in more ways than Crys could count. It was silly, crazy, and a poorly established lie.

"Lucy, stop saying that, would you? There's no such thing as the North Pole. It simply shows how much of a kid you are if you still believe that stuff. I swear, you are constantly acting like such a little child and now you're making up excuses." Lucy had begun shaking her head as Crys was belittling her. Lucy was shaking her head so stubbornly that her red hair was whirling as if there was a wind in the room. Crys placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders again and Lucy stopped moving instantly. She glared at Crys with the expression of a child who wasn't getting their way and continued to try to convince Crys that what she was saying was true.

"No! That's what Mom said on the phone; I heard her! It's true! She said you were going to the North Pole! If you don't want to go, then I certainly do!" Crys rolled her eyes, realizing that nothing she said would change Lucy's mind. She leaned back against Lucy's door and crossed her arms as she felt amusement substitute for her anger.

"Looks like you had way too many Christmas cookies before you went to bed last night. I think that was one of your silly dreams, Lucy. That is not what Mom would have said." Lucy pouted before Crys and appeared to hold on to what she thought was correct. Nothing would change her mind, not when Lucy made it up so strongly. It was almost impossible to change Lucy's mind; she was just one stubborn little kid. Hoping to switch subjects again—mainly because she wasn't going to get her answer here—she asked Lucy a different question. "Anything else?" Lucy thought for a minute and then nodded vigorously, her eyes about ready to shoot off fireworks.

"Of course, of course! I almost forgot! Charlie's coming today and I can't wait to see him! He already heard about your trick last night, so you can't cover the story up." Crys groaned and was about to ask Lucy when he was supposed to show up when the doorbell rang through the house. Crys turned and dove out of Lucy's room with Lucy following at her heels like a small dog. They could hear the calm steps of their mother approaching the door and watched as Laura swung it open wide to reveal Charlie's smiling, warm face. Lucy pushed past Crys and jumped into Charlie's arms. He laughed while he tried to wrestle her off him and then gave up in hopes that she would release him soon. Lucy stepped back towards their mother, still laughing excitedly. Charlie hugged their mother, kissed her on the cheek and laid his bag near the door.

"I guess Lucy still has those 'magic hugs', huh? So, where's everyone else?" Laura motioned to Crys, who was still standing stiffly at the top of the stairs. Charlie's smile wavered a bit when he met her eyes, but he maintained that bright expression as he got Crys to come down the stairs and greet him. Crys recalled that Charlie didn't used to be such a good kid, either. Now, he was glowing just as happily as Lucy and their mother. What a perfect family…not. Crys ignored Charlie's confused look as she avoided his gaze. Their mother gave Charlie a look that said "that's so typical of her" and moved on.

"Anyway, you know your father is at work right now, but you'll have time to see him later. How was that trip to the mountains with your friends, Charlie?" He grinned again and began a huge rant of their latest vacation, complete with deadly, icy winds and at least one injury while snowboarding. Charlie had supposedly twisted one his ankles soon after reaching the mountains as well as a bruised shoulder from landing the wrong way. Their mother led everyone into the kitchen, all except for Crys whom she advised to start packing immediately. Charlie passed a quick, sympathetic look to Crys before she furiously trudged up the stairs again.

Once in her bedroom, Crys slammed the door and found the large suitcase that was stashed away in her closet. She grabbed up any clothes she could find and threw them in the closet, still annoyed at her mother for pushing her away. After getting halfway done with stuffing things hurriedly into her bags, a soft knock came from outside her bedroom door. Crys didn't think it was her mother; her mom was good at holding a grudge and it was rare when she didn't prove that to Crys after an argument. Crys edged the door open and, seeing that it was Charlie, shoved the door open wider. She wasn't necessarily angry at him, not yet anyway. She figured he had come up to give her a lecture about last night. He walked around her bedroom for a few minutes and then faced Crys with that same compassionate look spread across his face.

"I heard about your stunt last night. That sounded pretty crazy to me, so you have got to be a little insane. Then again, I used to do those kinds of things about a couple years ago." Crys looked up from her overloaded suitcase and gave Charlie an irritated look.

"Yeah, except now you're perfect and innocent and have learned the error of your ways. I get it; I just don't see it that way." Charlie's smile slipped away and he became more serious.

"Crys, what exactly were you thinking, anyway? You could have been arrested or taken away again and I guess you're just not understanding what it's doing to Mom. She hates it that she has to make you leave again, but she thinks she has no choice. Sure, I acted horrible sometimes, but I got over it. You need to stop acting this way or you're never going to come back again." Crys angrily closed her suitcase and glared fiercely at Charlie.

"Well, it's a little too late now. I am leaving and she's making me. By the way, maybe I don't want to get over it. It's not like she's trying to help me change, so why do you pity her? Maybe I can't change as easily as you did." Charlie threw up his hands in frustration and Crys instantly thought back to how her mother had done the same thing the previous night.

"You could at least try, if nothing else. Lucy's worried about you, too. She's afraid she'll never see you living in this house again. She's a kid, Crys. Can't you at least stop playing a few stunts for her?" It was Crys's turn to show disbelief as she listened to Charlie dote on Lucy.

"Please, she is a little girl who is still influenced by the silly stories parents make up around Christmas. As for her being worried about me leaving, she didn't seem so worried this morning. In fact, she was more like a jumping bunny today, especially because she thinks I am going to the North Pole. Another one of her delusions." Shock passed over Charlie's face, and he attempted to cover it up even though Crys had already caught a glimpse of his expression. "What? Why does that surprise you?" Charlie shook his head back and forth for minute before finding his voice.

"No reason. I'm sure Lucy still has her silly ideas, but she is a child." Crys suddenly picked up the sound of rapping on the front door and their mother greeting whoever was at the door with a friendly voice. Crys gazed at Charlie, trying to find out if he knew who would be coming for Crys. Charlie simply showed off another huge smile as he shrugged and headed for door. "I think it's for you, Crys. Well, if there is even a chance of Lucy being right…have fun at the North Pole." Crys pretended amusement and then stuck her tongue out at Charlie as he rushed down the stairs. Sometimes, he could really get on her nerves, especially when he sided with Lucy. Crys finished packing and, quietly closing her bedroom door, mentally prepared herself to leave her home a second time.


	3. A Trip To The North

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy, and I do not own any characters, places, or ideas associated with this series. The only character I own is Crystal; otherwise I own nothing while writing this story. 

**A/N: **Time for the next chapter and this one is going to include the North Pole! Just for the record (so there is no confusion), my story takes place before the third movie and after the second one. Also, I am still grateful for the reviews and I hope the readers continue reading! Remember to review afterwards and give me your thoughts (all are greatly appreciated!!). Enjoy! 

**Chapter Three: A Trip to the North**

What awaited Crystal at the front door wasn't exactly what she was expecting. Everyone else was perfectly calm and friendly; they were crowded around the door, spreading greetings and bearing large smiles. Crys's mother lost her grin when she looked up to meet her eyes. Charlie was laughing along with Lucy happily, as if they didn't have any care in the world at that moment. In the center of this whole situation was Scott Calvin, Crys's uncle and someone she barely knew.

He was wearing a cheery grin and bore a kind of resemblance to Santa Claus, at least in Crys's mind he did. Crys felt another wave of annoyance spark up as she realized that this was the person who was taking over the situation. Last Crys heard, he was staying somewhere in the northern area, running a kind of toy factory. Crys recalled Lucy's excited words earlier that morning about Crys being sent off to the North Pole and Crys briefly wondered if this were a strange coincidence. Shaking her head, she stomped down the last few stairs and tossed her heavy suitcase onto the ground near the door. She turned to her mother and glared openly at her, not bothering to hide her disgust. If she was going to leave, she was definitely going to let her mother know how she felt about it.

"So when are we leaving? Even more specific, when am I leaving…for the second time?" Laura placed a hand on her forehead as though she had a sudden headache and she sighed deeply. Crys didn't take the time to greet her uncle like the others did. There was a kind of awkwardness now that no one knew the exact words to offer. Finally, Lucy stepped up to Scott Calvin and tried to change the subject a bit.

"Uncle Scott, why can't I go with you, too? I want to go with you. I haven't even been there yet. Charlie has! Why can't I go? I promise I'll be good." Their uncle faced Laura with a look that anticipated her input to this idea. She curtly shook her head and Lucy's expression transformed into a disappointed one. Charlie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and they waited for someone to speak again. Scott Calvin bent down to Lucy and there was a kind gleam in his eyes.

"You know what? Maybe next year you can visit the toy factory. I promise it will be next year. This year will be for Crystal. Okay?" Lucy nodded and skipped away to stand beside her mother. Crys groaned; she hated her full name and always preferred 'Crys'. Apparently, it was going to be difficult to start that trend with her new guardian. Great. Laura approached Calvin and attempted to put on another smile, but it wasn't that strong.

"Anyway, how are you planning on getting back to your toy factory?" There was a suspicious look in Laura's eyes that suggested she was referring to something that was hidden in her words. Scott Calvin seemed to understand what Laura was talking about because he focused on Crys for a minute with a strange look. Then he glanced back at Crys's mother and smiled again.

"Don't worry about it. See, my 'associate' is here to help me with everything. The ride will be just fine." Just then, another man stepped into view, one Crys had not previously noticed. He was tall, dark-skinned, and a complete stranger. No one else seemed to react to this man's presence. He was wearing a business-type suit and there was a lazy look in his eyes, as if he would end up falling asleep any minute. Laura was the only one besides Crys who looked uncertain, though Crys thought she had a different reason for acting that way. The man, not bothering to introduce himself, moved near Crys and she had the sudden feeling that he was going to do something. Everyone else just watched carefully and calmly as the man approached Crys.

She was tempted to back away; she didn't know this man and didn't want to know what he was planning on doing. He stopped a few feet away from Crys and brought up one hand near his mouth. She noticed that it was clenched, as if he were holding something. In the next instant, he simultaneously opened his hand and blew towards whatever was inside it, making it flow over Crys. She realized that there was golden dust swirling around her, and then her head began to feel light. Her eyes seemed ready to close and she tried to fight off the sensation.

The man stepped away from Crys and nodded curtly, as though saying that his job was done. Crys managed to land herself on the bottom stair before she submitted to the heavy feeling around her. The last thing she saw was her mother grabbing up her bags and coming close to her, and then her mind fell into complete darkness, the darkness of slumber.

* * *

It was a while before Crys was finally able to open her eyes again. When she did, she found herself in a strange place, one that was not her home. This place was completely different from any other place she had seen before. This was the north, and she immediately concluded that she wanted nothing to do with it. Her uncle was next her, waiting for her to wake up. Her brain was all foggy and she couldn't remember how she had fallen asleep. Wasn't there something about gold there, or had she been dreaming? Crys picked her head up to acknowledge the people around her.

There were countless small people around her, ones who looked specifically like children except they had a small hint of wisdom in their eyes. She didn't know who they were, but they were staring at her expectantly. They continued to huddle around her until her uncle waved them off to other places and tasks. A pretty young woman was leaning down towards Crys, a bright smile spreading across her face. Curls of golden hair fell down to her shoulders and she was wrapped in a white gown. Crys figured she had to be her aunt, since she was standing close and somewhat lovingly next to her uncle. Crys also noticed that the woman had to be a few months pregnant; she was starting to swell a bit and Crys watched as the woman placed a protective hand against her stomach. Her thoughts were disturbed by her uncle's voice.

"It's about time you woke up, Crystal. You've been asleep for awhile. By the way, this is Carol; she's your aunt." Carol nodded towards Crys with enthusiasm and Crys politely greeted her. She seemed to be very nice for her new aunt. Crys stretched and rose slowly, trying to hide a yawn from whoever was watching her at the moment.

"So….this is your factory? This place is huge and…different." A group of small children ran past Crys as she finished speaking and she had to bite her tongue in order to stop from yelling at the kids. The last thing she needed was to earn a bad reputation during the first thirty seconds of living in her new environment. Scott Calvin beckoned Crys towards the factory, which was even more enormous than Crys predicted. Carol followed closely behind, occasionally offering Crys words of comfort and some small talk. All the while, Crys looked around and caught the sight of various signs, most proclaiming that this was Canada. Crys had visited Canada once when she was younger, and it never looked like this before. Maybe it was a different, unfamiliar part of Canada.

Crys trailed behind her uncle as they made their way through a set of large, wooden, ornate doors. Crys paused to wonder what was waiting for her next and took a deep breath as she stepped into the factory. If she thought the outside was strange, the inside of the factory was completely abnormal.

* * *

In truth, the inside of the factory was a wondrous sight, with dozens of workers moving hastily around and toys being produced faster than Crys could imagine. The grand stairs located in the main area of the factory led to various levels and places. Small children were scattered everywhere, happy expressions pasted onto their faces as they laughed and played. Yes, it was a wondrous sight, but it still gave Crys an indescribable feeling of suspicion and discomfort. She hesitantly moved around a group of small children as she tried to follow closely behind her uncle as he led the way towards the grand stairs.

Along the way, he pointed out different areas around the factory, always with a cheery voice. Carol kept a thin smile on her face as she walked beside Crys, her stomach occasionally floating down to her stomach. Crys was shown the main parts of the factory and separate rooms that served to store the many items that were created inside the factory's walls. Crys wasn't sure what to think as she strolled along the hallways with her new guardians. It was definitely more elegant than any place she had seen before. For once, she was actually speechless. Finally, her uncle stopped before a set of doors that looked to be as big as the front entrance. He turned slowly to face Crys and Carol before motioning towards the two doors.

"Well, you can't say the factory isn't big enough. This is the kitchen. Good timing, too. I have a meeting soon, and it's taking place in here." The doors swung open to reveal what looked to be an endless room, filled with kitchen essential, a gigantic oven that was producing numerous treats and foods, and thousands of workers traveling along serving tons of plates and cups of cocoa. Crys's stomach grumbled, but she didn't notice. She was almost stunned just looking at this room. Carol gave a musical laugh before she approached Crys's side.

"I know, it's huge, isn't it? It's amazing." Carol led the way into the enormous kitchen to a table that was placed in the center of the room. There were already a number of people surrounding it, people that made Crys stop in her tracks with confusion. She glanced uncertainly up at her uncle, who only smiled and nodded towards the table and the people around it.

"It's not really a big secret that Christmas is well appreciated here. Every year we have a huge celebration for it. That's reason enough for the people you see around the table." At that moment, one of those people, a man with a long, snowy beard, tapped the table with enough force to receive silence in the room. The other people around the table took a seat and Crys's uncle followed suit. Carol remained by Crys's side as they watched order take place in the kitchen. The meeting was about to begin and Crys had a front row seat.


	4. Jack Frost

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy, nor do I own any of the ideas, characters, or places associated with this series. The only character I own is Crystal; otherwise, I own nothing while writing this story.

**A/N: **I'm really sorry it took so long for me to update but I have been busy and sick the past week. I am also sorry if this chapter is a bit short. With that, it is time to continue on to the next chapter. Thank you, everyone, for reading my story and for giving me wonderful, inspiring reviews!! I hope all the readers out there continue reading and maybe leave a small review for me afterwards! I love to know what people think of my story along with any questions, ideas, or constructive criticism. Anyway, time for the next chapter, so enjoy! P.S. this chapter includes Jack Frost!! (= 

**Chapter 4: Jack Frost**

There was immediate outrage even before the meeting truly began. The people that surrounded the table jumped up at the sight of Crys, who was completely unfamiliar to them. Carol put her hands, almost protectively, around Crys's shoulders, though Crys didn't know why. Carol was a complete stranger to Crys, so why was she now standing and holding Crys in a protective, comforting way? Crys gazed around uncertainly at the group of people around the table, all busy shouting their complaints as they motioned towards Crys. She only recognized one of the strangers; the black man that was now resting his head on the table, sleeping, seemed familiar to Crys, but her head was still a little foggy from the rude awakening into this strange place. All at once, a handful of voices were rising, and all of them seemed unhappy with the sight of Crys at their meeting.

"Who is she?"asked a tall, dark-skinned woman who appeared to be somewhat earthly.

"What is she doing here?"questioned another man that was standing next to the earthly woman, this one looking plenty old and had a long white beard that seemed to go on forever.

"Did you tell her yet? Did you tell her?"inquired a stranger that was sitting closer to Crys, this one in the form of a rabbit. This stranger earned a confused look from Crys before he hopped around to the other side of the table to argue with the other members of this meeting. Crys's uncle apparently had no idea how to end this arguing and Carol's hands tightened on Crys's shoulders. The buzzing of the rising voices grew louder until finally the old man banged what looked to be a large stick with a small hourglass in the center. He banged the stick on the ground three times and the whole room suddenly went silent. The dark-skinned woman raised a hand to gain the attention of the other members and softly spoke, never taking her eyes from Crys.

"Now, we are here for a meeting, not to stand around and argue about this new girl in our presence. For the sake of the S.O.S., I hope this girl knows full well what this place holds. If not, it would be best if she not overhear our meeting. All who agree?" Half the members raised their hands in agreement to this woman's words, the others looking too clueless to decide their vote. The sleeping man was in a long slumber, far past hearing anything that was going on around him. Crys shook her head and then considered this woman's words. What did she mean about this place? What kind of strange aspects might it hold? Besides that, what the heck was the S.O.S.? Crys was intrigued and she desperately wanted to find out. The woman nodded her head as she observed how many were voting Crys to leave. She spoke up once more as the few voices quieted down again. "Is that the extent of those who agree? No one else is in agreement here before we begin our meeting?" Before anyone could get the chance to speak, the doors to the kitchen burst open without any warning and another person glided in, someone who definitely caught Crys by surprise.

The person who came in looked about ready for a winter festival. His clothes were icy blue and appeared somewhat mystical to Crys. His skin was paler in comparison to the other members of the meeting. The thing that Crys noticed most, however, was the stranger's hair; it was formed in complete iciness and it awed Crys in a way she could not explain. Whoever the person was, he was definitely the most appealing of the group. Now, he turned his head in the direction of Crys and looked her over before meeting her eyes directly.

"Looks like I'm just in time for the meeting. I suppose this would be the 'ice princess' of a niece you mentioned earlier," the stranger said as he motioned towards Crys again. Her uncle looked at Crys for a moment before concentrating on the person who spoke.

"Yes, that is my niece, Crystal. She's staying here for awhile. Crystal, this is the person who is…participating in our winter celebration as Jack Frost. Can we get on with the meeting now?" Everyone looked around in agreement, but Jack kept his eyes trained on Crys. A slow smiled crossed his face and it was an expression that created an uneasy feeling inside Crys. Carol gripped harder on Crys's shoulders and offered to escort her out of the kitchen so as not to disturb the meeting. Crys was immediately irritated by this offer; she had wanted to stay there and see what this whole situation was about. Instead, Carol began leading Crys to the door that they entered through and Crys didn't bother to start a show by fighting Carol off. The other members did not argue against Carol's offer, which probably meant they liked the idea of talking in secrecy better. Carol quietly explained that the meeting was a secret and important one and that she would show Crys to her new room. Crys didn't say a word as they left the large, magnificent kitchen. The last thing she recalled before leaving was Jack's cold eyes on her and his whispered promise that he would see her again soon. Those words brought up an uncomfortable sensation in Crys's mind and she couldn't help but to wonder for a second time what this place might have in store for her.


	5. Playing With Ice

Disclaimer: I do not own this series (or any of its characters, ideas, or places (which, sadly, includes the character of Jack Frost)). I only own the character of Crys. 

A/N: So, it's been almost a year since I last updated for this story. I have mostly been concentrating on my other unfinished stories. But now, I am going to try to focus on this again (By the way, college is kind of intruding on my fanfic life!). I know I said in one of my chapters that this story took place before the third movie, but now I've changed my mind. I think this would be better if it took place within the movie and I will change certain things about the movie as well. Anyway (sorry for my long note) enjoy this new chapter! 

Chapter 5: Playing With Ice

Crys was led down the large stairs of the main room with Carol following closely behind her. Carol looked like she was having a hard time walking, especially with tackling the stairs. Crys briefly wondered how long it would be until the baby was born. Dozens of young kids rushed past, some carrying bundles of toys while others greeted her with a smile. Crys asked Carol why there were so many small kids here and very few adults. Carol just shrugged and, with a bright smile, explained that kids were a joy to have around. _'Yeah, sure. As long as I don't have to babysit them,'_ Crys thought with a dramatic roll of the eyes.

Carol struggled to make it down the last two steps and Crys held the entrance door open for her. The cool wind bit at Crys' skin and there was a hint of snowflakes in the air. Crys shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Carol glanced at her and laughed.

"You should have brought some sweaters with you. It's always a bit chilly here," she explained in her light, soft voice. Crys just shrugged in response. All of a sudden, Carol's presence was becoming irritating. Carol was kind, considerate, and the type of person that was easy to talk to. Crys just didn't feel like talking today. _'Gee, I wonder why?'_ Crys added sarcastically in her mind. Maybe it was because Carol reminded her of her mother or at least the mother she wanted.

"I don't mean to be rude, but can you just give me a minute alone? I really need to clear my head," Crys said, trying not to sound too annoyed. She swept her red hair from her shoulders and avoided Carol's concerned look. She came close to Crys and put an arm on her shoulder.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Carol seemed genuinely worried about her. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to lighten Crys' mood.

"No, I don't want to talk," exclaimed Crys. Her words came out harsher than she intended. Carol slowly removed her hand and nodded with a deep frown on her face. Crys could have sworn she saw tears pooling in Carol's eyes. For an instant, Crys' heart lurched. "I'm sorry, Carol. I just need a few moments alone." Crys forced a smile, but Carol only nodded weakly.

"Okay. Just…let me know if you ever need anything." Carol turned and, with only a small glance back at Crys, disappeared through the gigantic ornate doors. Crys sighed and put her hands to her head, sweeping back her hair. It was bad enough she was stuck here; she didn't need any sympathy from anyone, even Carol.

For some reason, Crys' mind turned to the guy she saw before she was ushered out of the kitchen. The guy that was like ice-incarnate. He seemed to be the most interesting person in that room, even if he did put Crys on edge. His sapphire eyes seemed to look right through her, as if he knew who she was before he even really knew her. Crys shook her head. What was she thinking?

Crys turned and walked away from the main building. _'I wonder who he really is,'_ Crys thought, unaware of the fact that he was thinking the same thing at that moment.

An hour later, Crys managed to get one of the little girls to bring her some hot chocolate. The rich, steaming taste of it burning its way down her throat. She had walked around the majority of the grounds, watching as the kids ran around and laughed. Too bad none of them were into having the kind of fun she had most of the time. None of them were interested in causing trouble or doing things that were wrong but just…fun. _'How am I ever going to pass the time without a little fun?'_

Crys turned the corner and observed two little kids standing awkwardly next to what looked like a small store. That guy that she had been thinking about—who was he?—was trying to fix a broken sign on the roof of the store. She found a bench near them and sat down, sipping her hot cocoa delightfully. Eventually, the sign stayed and the guy got down from a ladder. He stood back and marveled at the sign like an artist admiring his finished painting. In the next second, the sign broke off the roof and crashed into pieces on the ground. Crys felt a smile playing at her lips and she fought the urge to laugh out loud. It looked like something she might do, except on purpose.

"Look what you've done," the man scolded one of the young kids, even though it was technically his fault. Still, his tone made it seem as though the incident amused him, just as it amused Crys. _'Ah,'_ Crys thought with excitement. _'So, he did do it on purpose after all. Bravo.'_ The man turned and spotted her gazing at him. A slow smile spread across his face. _'I've found you at last, darling,'_ he mused as he strode towards her.

"Good job with the sign," Crys said, unsuccessfully hiding her laughter. He stopped within a few feet of her, pausing long enough to look her over carefully. _'Not too bad,'_ he thought.

"Oh, you liked that, hmmm?" Crys studied him and then leaned back on the bench. Bringing her cup to her lips again, she smiled.

"I like some good mischief from time to time," she spoke smoothly in a tone that, more often than not, worked like magic on the boys that lived in her neighborhood. It was a tone that she used when she wanted to play with them, twist them around her finger, and see how far she could go to get what she wanted. Crys watched as his dark eyes lit up and that smile became dangerous. Crys could hear her heart pounding as she realized that he recognized the kind of game she was playing, the velvety tone she was using. It was almost like playing with fire. _'Or ice,'_ she figured as he drew closer. He settled right beside her on the bench. Slowly, he leaned toward her, that same dangerous smile on his lips. He came within inches of her before he said anything.

"Then you'll love me, my dear," he whispered so only she could hear. He brushed his fingers across her face. Crys slid backwards on the bench until they were at least a foot apart from each other. _'His hands are so cold! _Crys saw the gleam in his eyes as he registered her discomfort. "I'm afraid we haven't exactly introduced ourselves," he said, his voice polite as if everything was normal. He waited until she spoke first.

"My name is Crystal," he stated, hoping her voice wasn't shaking like she thought it was. She then mentally kicked herself. _'Why did I give him my full name? I hate it when anybody uses my full name, never mind me! _"I go by Crys," she corrected. He nodded thoughtfully before lifting her hand to his lips.

"Jack Frost, remember?" Crys felt confusion fill her face. _'Is he seriously delusional? Or just toying with me?'_

"Right, I heard that." Jack—she didn't know what else to call him—lifted his face until they were staring into each other's eyes.

"You don't believe me, do you? Maybe I can prove it to you sometime," he said as easily as if he were asking her out. Crys tried to smile as he rose and walked away without giving her a second glance. Crys wondered about him, if it had all been just a game to him. Crys set her cup down next to her. She moved her hand across the hand he kissed and shivered. She looked down at her hand and felt even more confused than before. On her hand, in the exact spot he kissed her, was a small layer of frost.


	6. Family Problems

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its ideas, characters, places, etc. I only own the character of Crys. 

A/N: Thank you so much for the good reviews; they really encourage me to continue writing. So, without further delay, here is the next chapter! 

Chapter 6: Family Problems

Crys was still rubbing her hand when she entered the main building. She could feel Jack's lips against her skin and she couldn't shake off the deep chill that was somehow etched into her hand. Crys was entirely preoccupied with her thoughts; she almost collided with Lucy, who had been running down the stairs and now surrounded Crys in a warm embrace. The chill in her hand quickly vanished, like ice melting away in the heat. Crys could only stare back at Lucy. _'Oh, great,'_ Crys thought as she pried Lucy off of her.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was the only one being sent away." Lucy's eyes sparkled with excitement. She was practically jumping up and down like a rabbit.

"Nope. Uncle Scott changed his mind about me visiting. I've never even seen this place and now I'm here! He also thought it would be good for you to have us around, at least for a little while," Lucy explained in one long breath. Crys froze when she heard Lucy's last words.

"Us? Oh, no..." Crys pinched the bridge of her nose as she heard footsteps approaching behind her. She could already feel a headache coming on.

"Crys." Her mother's voice was there behind her and Crys could feel her eyes boring into her. Crys had liked this place better when she was alone and her family wasn't here. They were the ones who sent her away in the first place. Crys reluctantly turned to face her mother.

"So, come to take me out of this place?" Crys' mother was eyeing her like a hawk.

"Of course not. You're staying. We're just here to give Carol some company since everyone else is busy around here," her mother said in a cold, precise voice. Crys crossed her arms and sighed.

"Great. Something else I can look forward to!" Crys said sarcastically. Lucy was twirling a piece of her red hair between her fingers and looking down at the floor. Poor kid. Crys knew it took a huge toll on Lucy to see them always fighting, but Crys couldn't help it. Her mother only caused her to feel more frustrated and angry. Crys' mother looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there with her daughter. Crys felt the tension in the air and decided it was time to leave.

"Crys, maybe it would do you some good to spend time with your family, at least with Lucy," her mother called to her. Crys clenched her teeth and gazed at her mother.

"Really? It did so much good for me back home, remember? Which way are you heading, anyway?" Crys' mother pointed to the stairs that led to Carol's room. Crys nodded thoughtfully and pretended that she was considering her mother's offer.

"I see. Well, then I'm going this way," Crys stated, pointing in the opposite direction. Lucy frowned as she watched Crys storm off. Her mother simply grabbed Lucy's hand and started towards the stairs. When Crys was far enough away, she breathed a sigh of relief. _'It could have been so much worse,'_ she thought as she observed the kids working around a machine. She wondered if it was safe for kids to be working like that.

Crys suddenly felt a chill wrap around her and the presence of someone behind her. She knew who it was before she even looked. Jack was standing a few feet behind her, watching her intently. In his hand was a cup of hot cocoa, still steaming. Crys nodded slightly.

"Oh, it's you," she said grimly.

"You sound disappointed. Want some?" Jack held out the cup of hot chocolate to her. She glanced at it once and took it from him. Her fingers touched his and the deep chill re-entered her body. She almost dropped the cup, but luckily held it steadily enough to bring it to her lips. The warm drink was so rich and delicious. It actually calmed her nerves a little. She handed the cup back to him and he smiled. "Tough relationship with the family, hmm?" Crys rolled her eyes, even though she felt a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

"If we're going to have that discussion, maybe we can do somewhere more private," she suggested as her eyes darted to the group of children. Jack followed her eyes and got the idea. He strode over to the group of children and, as Crys watched, told them a lie about how there was a grand amount of hot chocolate in one of the upper rooms. He exaggerated the extreme richness and warmth of the drink. It almost made Crys want to run up the stairs and grab some, just as the kids were doing a second later. He glanced back at Crys with a victorious smile on his face.

"You're a pretty good liar," Crys said. Jack shrugged carelessly and held his cup to his lips again.

"Takes one to know one, doesn't it?" Crys' smile grew. "So, about the family...?" Crys nodded and began telling him about the trouble she had caused back home. She ended with the story of how she had caused the tree in the main square to crash and how she had almost escaped. Perhaps she would ask Lucy how Rachelle was doing now that she owned the spotlight once more.

"My, you are quite the ice princess," Jack said as he leaned back against one of the machines.

"Mmm. I just wish my mom would leave me alone or just stop once in a while. Now that I think about it, this place might be better if it had a little more mischief in it," Crys said as she looked around the room. It really was too...cheery here. Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"You think so?" Behind his back, he twisted the knob on the machine and broke it off soundlessly. He knew it would cause the machine to start acting wild or out of control.

"Yeah. Thanks for listening, anyway." Crys started off in the direction of the stairs. She hoped there actually was some hot chocolate in the kitchen. She would need an extra large cup after today.

Behind her, Jack waited and watched as the machine went into chaos mode. Papers began to spew out of the machine and materials began to fly everywhere. He smiled as he witnessed it all taking place. And when word got around that Crys had been near these machines right before the chaos started...it would cause such stress on the family, wouldn't it? _'If she likes mischief and trouble, wait until she sees what I can do!'_


	7. Chaos in the Kitchen

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its ideas, characters, places, etc. I only own the character of Crys. 

A/N: Yay, new chapter! I hope everyone likes it! By the way, this chapter is kind of long, just so you're warned ahead of time! Thanks so much for the reviews and I will try to keep updating regularly for this story. 

Chapter 7: Chaos in the Kitchen

Crys entered the kitchen and for the first time got to really take a good look around. Last time, she was too preoccupied with being pushed out of the kitchen to really notice each detail. The kitchen was enormous and there were hundreds of workers tending to the stoves and setting the tables. The tables spanned about seven feet each and the ovens stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Out of the oven came treats, cookies, and any kind of sweet that Crys could think of. Lining the edges of the room were four different spots where hot chocolate could be made in an instant. Crys almost felt her jaw drop as she examined it.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Crys jumped about a foot in the air; she didn't hear anyone coming. Maybe it was because she had been so surprised when looking over the kitchen. Carol stood behind her, holding her hands protectively over her stomach. She laughed when she saw Crys' reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized, some pink color rising to her cheeks.

"It's okay. I thought you were with...my mother." Crys cringed a little when she referred to her mother and she had to hide her sudden urge to smirk at the idea of her. Carol shook her head lightly.

"I was, but I came down here to get something to drink. I know you're not on good terms with your mom," Carol said as she looked around the kitchen. Two small girls ran over and held up a cup to Carol. She smiled gratefully and turned back to Crys.

"Yeah, my mom can be...hard to deal with," Crys said with little enthusiasm in her voice. _'I already had this conversation two minutes ago! Enough already!' _Crys sighed and tried to find a way to change the subject. "The kitchen's pretty cool, though." Carol nodded and gave her a long look that said she knew Crys was trying to change the subject.

"I've gotten used to things around here. It can be an interesting place if you learn to enjoy it. Here, I'll give you a tour around the kitchen," Carol insisted. Crys suggested that Carol return to her room and that she didn't need to go to all the trouble, but Carol wasn't having any of it. She showed Crys the entire room, from the ovens to the hot chocolate machines. Crys quickly grabbed up another cup of cocoa, hoping to get rid of the insistent chill around her. _'Why can't I get rid of it? Where's Lucy and her magic hugs when you need them?_

All of the young kids were watching Crys as they finished their tour of the kitchen area. Carol even introduced some of them to her with a warm smile. The kids greeted her back, but most seemed kind of doubtful. Crys wondered why that was. _'I haven't even gotten into any trouble yet. Unless you count me spending time with a mischievous person troublesome. _Carol lingered around Crys a bit longer before saying that she would return to her room and Crys' mother.

Crys took her cooling cup of cocoa and sat down at the nearest table, her back to the kitchen doors. She found that the hot coca soothed her and helped her relax. What else was there to do besides drink hot cocoa around here?

"I believe that's your third cup today, isn't it?" Crys refused to turn around. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as Jack took a seat across from her. She gave him a curious, suspicious look.

"Okay, are you like stalking me or something?" Crys asked, laughing a bit at the possibility. Jack leaned towards her, his elbows resting against the surface of the table.

"Our first real encounter was by your doing, remember? Besides, maybe I just enjoy your company. You won't believe how difficult it really is to find a good, troublesome person around here," he stated, not taking his blue eyes away from hers.

"Is that so? Do you still go by the name of Jack Frost?" Crys gave him a skeptical look as his eyes grew brighter with intensity.

"I have yet to prove it to you. Wait here," he said as he got up from the table. Crys watched him walk over to the hot chocolate machines. She shrugged and continued sipping her drink. _'Who knows? This might turn out to be amusing,'_ Crys thought as she waited.

Jack made his way to the hot cocoa machines and took his time filling a large cup. The steam rose to his face but, being so cold, he could barely feel it. He carefully observed the room behind him and saw that everyone was occupied with their jobs. No one was looking his way, which was good. He quickly twisted the lever of the machines, putting them to full power and then bent the lever almost to the point of breaking.

"Excuse me," one of the smaller girls said. Jack moved aside as she opened the door to one of the smaller ovens and placed a small tray of cookies in the oven to bake. The girl closed the door and barely gave him another glance as she crossed the room. Jack went to the oven and discretely flipped all the buttons to the highest level they could reach. And no one even noticed. _'This ought to be worth watching,'_ he thought as he returned to the table where Crys was finishing her drink.

"It's about time," Crys said as he took the same seat he had before. He smiled innocently at her.

"Sorry. The cocoa machines seem to be a little...off today." He set the cup of cocoa in front of Crys, keeping his hands around it. Crys didn't know what he was planning to do, but she leaned forward anyway. Jack bent his head down to the cup of cocoa and Crys was certain he was about to drink it.

Instead, he stopped about an inch above the brim. Then, he took in a deep breath and Crys saw his face start to turn the color of blue sky. Her eyes widened as he blew out a large breath. Icy winds and frozen snow covered the cup of cocoa, embracing it in a white icicle. Jack stopped after about thirty seconds, but it had been enough to completely freeze the hot cocoa inside the cup. There were still patches of white frost on the brim of the cup. Jack pushed the cup towards her and she went as far as to skim her fingers over the frozen surface of the drink, rewarding her in a case of the shivers. Jack sat back and smiled as he saw that she was in disbelief. It took her a few moments of contemplating before she raised her eyes to his face.

"Neat trick," Crys said. She could hear the dryness of her voice; she still couldn't process what she had seen. Jack stared at her; his eyes seemed to become darker as he shook his head slowly.

"You know it's not a simple trick, Crys. I see the way you shiver and freeze up every time we make contact. There's a chill in you that you can't quite shake off, isn't there? This is real," he said as Crys removed her hands from the cup. She had that feeling again, the feeling that he could look right through her and see everything she was desperately trying to hide. "You are genuinely an ice princess. Would you like to be my ice princess, Crys?"

Crys lost her train of thought as she focused on what it was he asked her. He was gazing at her with such intensity that it held her to the spot. She tried to make sense of what he asked her, but it was almost impossible to think at that moment.

"What did you say?" Jack's smile grew bigger as he heard the first whistles and alarms of the ovens and machines going off.

"You heard me," he said. Everyone in the room rushed over to the machines, but Crys felt she couldn't move. The smell of something burning broke her out of her trance. The machines were going crazy.

The cocoa machines were forcing hot coca out of their taps and the oven was surrounded by flames. Fire licked the edge of the oven and Crys noticed a small tray inside that was melting away from the heat. A bunch of the younger kids found some buckets that they filled with water and a hose that was so long that it came within inches of the fire. It took about twenty minutes before the fire slowed down and was extinguished.

Carol, Lucy, Uncle Scott, and Crys' mother rushed into the room following behind a small girl. They moved to the head of the crowd to inspect the damage. After a few minutes of silence, Scott turned to the crowd.

"It's okay. We'll get this cleaned up in no time. It's alright, everyone." Crys looked from him to her mother and Carol, who had their hands over their mouths in shock. Lucy's eyes filled with worry. Crys's mother detached from Carol, her eyes narrowing. _'Uh-oh. I know that look. It's the look she always gives me when she's about to lecture me after I've gotten into trouble!'_

"Who could have done this? Who would...?" Her eyes trained on Crys in the crowd. Slowly, everyone followed her eyes and stared right at Crys. It seemed as though they had found their culprit.


	8. Winter Snowflakes

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its characters, places, or ideas. I only own the character of Crys.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews; they're really awesome and they definitely help me to continue my story. I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter!

Chapter 8: Winter Snowflakes

There were a million eyes on Crys as everyone came to the same conclusion: she did it. Crys crossed her arms and glared at each of the kids.

"What are you all staring at me for? I had nothing to do with this! I was busy spending time with-"

"I think I'll go find a mop and help clean this up," Jack said as he walked away, leaving Crys completely speechless.

"Ummm...I think I saw her near the machines earlier," one boy said, looking down at the floor. Crys felt her blood start to boil as everyone began whispering to one another. _'I didn't even do any of this,'_ Crys thought bitterly.

"She couldn't have done anything to the machines, I'm sure of it. She was with me the whole time," Carol said as she went to stand beside Crys. A feeling of gratitude overwhelmed Crys, but it quickly vanished with the sound of her mother's accusing tone.

"So there was no way she had the slightest chance to maybe do something behind your back?" Crys' mother stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Crys.

"Well, no. I gave her a tour of the kitchen and I was right beside her. I mean, she did stop to grab a cup of cocoa...but..." Carol's words trailed off as she helplessly looked from Crys to her mother.

"See?" Her mother motioned to Crys as if she had proven that Crys was a witch that should be hanged. Crys marched forward and looked her mother in the eye.

"I didn't do this! Besides, I never denied any of the things I got into trouble for. Why would I start now?" Crys waited for an answer, but her mother made no effort to reply. She simply looked at Crys, her eyes filling with disappointment. Right then, Scott made the attempt to pull Crys away from her mother.

"Now, now, everyone. Why don't we just forget about this whole situation and get everything cleaned up, alright?" Crys glared at her mother for a minute more and then headed for the kitchen doors. No one tried to stop her. Crys swore a million times in her head. She moved fast, not bothering to look at anyone around her. She could feel their eyes on her. She could feel her lips twisting into an angry pout and her eyes were burning. _'Oh, no. I am not going to give them the satisfaction by shedding a few tears on the subject. Absolutely not!_'

Crys heard someone running to catch up with her and she felt a spark of irritation. _'Whoever it is, I am definitely not in the mood. I might actually kill someone.'_ The person behind her grabbed her wrist and a cold sensation traveled through her body. She reluctantly turned to face the person she probably least wanted to talk to.

"You know, you are attractive when you get angry," Jack said, which only made Crys become even angrier.

"Sure. By the way, thanks for bailing out on me in there. I really appreciate it," Crys stated as she turned away. Jack was in front of her in an instant, blocking her way down the stairs. She had yet to notice the chaos that was going on down there as well.

"Oh, come on. It was all in good fun. You said this place would be much better with a little mischief and now there is!" Crys leaned against the railing near the stairway.

"I don't enjoy getting in trouble for what I do. I just like..."

"The thrill of getting away with it?" Jack's frosted eyebrows shot up as Crys began to smile little by little. "In a way, you have gotten away with it. You should be enjoying yourself." Crys wasn't successful in hiding her smile. She felt herself relax. The two of them started down the stairs and Crys caught sight of the mess downstairs. There were papers everywhere and little kids were trying to figure out how to stop the mess from getting bigger. While Crys would have been even more depressed looking at the mess before, she now looked at it with a smile.

"I'll probably get blamed for this, too." Crys shook her head and watched the scene with interest. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on. I have something to show you," he said. Crys wondered what it could be this time. She couldn't wait to find out.

In the kitchen, everyone was helping to clean up the spilled cocoa on the floor. Carol was sitting at a table and shaking her head, not willing to agree that Crys might have done this. Crys' mother was trying to console her while Scott looked around the room in dismay. Lucy had shown up after Crys left and she was asking each of the kids about what had happened.

"What are we going to do about Crys? She clearly isn't changing much," her mother said as she met Scott's eyes. He shrugged and sat down next to Carol.

"There's so much going on around here. It's hard to keep track of her," he said. Carol's head shot up quickly, putting the others into alarm. They briefly wondered if it could be the baby.

"Don't you think it would help her if she knew? About this place, about you, Scott. It might help her, "she suggested in a hopeful voice. Crys' mother seemed to consider it. Scott looked at her, his smile returning.

"Perhaps it might. I think it's time she knew, anyway. Lucy, would you go find Crys for me?" Lucy ran off like a speeding bullet, wondering how Crys would react when she heard this.

Jack led Crys outside. There were few people around and the air was slightly warmer than before. Crys also noticed that there were no snowflakes this time. Crys looked at him questioningly.

"This might cheer you up," he said as he closed one of his fists. He turned away from her so she couldn't easily see what he was doing. She could only tell that he was doing something like what he did before, with the ice and wind. In the next instant, he seemed to throw something in the air and down came thousands of snowflakes around her. They were big enough so that Crys could see some of their designs, each one different. They floated down around Crys, some of them landing in her red hair. They were beautiful; the sight of them filled her with joy. She met Jack's eyes and was surprised to see that while she was focused on the snowflakes, he had gotten closer to her.

"Why is it that you seem to be the only person around here who understands?" Crys asked. Jack placed a hand under her chin, the coolness of it coming as a shock to Crys. A pleasant shock, of course.

"Oh, I understand perfectly. Crystal clear." Crys laughed. The two of them seemed to get closer and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. It was then that she realized she had wanted to. They were only inches away from each other now. Crys could feel the smooth chill wrapping around her body like a blanket and she welcomed it.

"Crys! Crys!" Lucy's voice broke the spell and Crys wished Lucy wasn't there. She slowly faced her little sister, who was jumping up and down with childish excitement. "Uncle Scott has something to show you! It's really important!" Crys put a hand to her forehead and then sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," Crys said as she followed Lucy to the main building again. She turned once, looking for Jack, but he was already gone. So were the snowflakes.


	9. The Hall of Snowglobes

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy, nor do I own any of its characters, places, ideas, etc. The only thing I own in this story is the character of Crys. 

A/N: The reviews are AMAZING! Thanks so much guys! Isn't this story getting good? Keep reading-it gets better! Warning: extremely long chapter (at least, I think so since it took a long time to write) and a potential cliffhanger (don't you guys love good cliffhangers?). 

Chapter 9: The Hall of Snowglobes

Lucy made her way to one of the rooms that branched off of the main hall. That was the room where Uncle Scott told her to meet him, the room he said led to the hall of snow globes that Lucy desperately wanted to see. She loved snow globes, loved to shake them and see the pretty white snow falling all around no matter what time of year it was.

"Almost there," she told Crys, who was quietly following her. She wondered how Crys could hate Christmas so much; it was so wonderful and full of happiness. She also wondered what Crys was doing with that Jack Frost guy. Lucy didn't like him one bit.

Finally, they reached the room. It was located behind two colorful glass doors and it was smaller than Lucy imagined it would be. A closet and a machine-one that looked similar to a slot machine-were the only things in there. Uncle Scott was standing next to the machine.

"Alright, Lucy, Crys. I'm going to show you the Hall of Snowglobes," he announced. Lucy looked around, not sure what was supposed to happen.

"Snow globes? Lucy brought me all the way up here so I could look at a bunch of snow globes?" Crys exclaimed before Lucy could get a word in.

"But, Crys...they're supposed to be good, magical snow globes!" Lucy pleaded Crys with her eyes.

"Lucy is right, Crys. These snow globes are more important than you realize. Besides, I have something just as important to tell you." He pressed some buttons on the machine, pulled the lever, and the wall slowly began to revolve. Crys and Lucy took their place next to the machine and they were soon looking at a hidden room.

The room looked similar to a large ballroom, with white marble everywhere. What caught Crys' attention the most were the floating, golden snow globes. They were everywhere in the air; there had to be a hundred at least. Crys gently touched a few of them and, although some were pretty large, they were as light as a feather. There was only one globe sitting in the center on a pedestal, glowing as white and bright as the snow on Christmas morning. Lucy twirled like a small, delicate ballerina underneath the floating orbs. Crys thought it might just be one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

"Crys..." Uncle Scott spoke softly, pulling Crys out of her trance. What he aid next was just unbelievable. "I am Santa Claus." Crys looked at him in disbelief. The words did not fill Crys with wonder or happiness, as it would have done to Lucy. She was confused; how can this possibly be anywhere near the truth? Still, looking around that hidden room and then back at Scott with his snowy white beard, bright eyes, and joyful smile, Crys felt that it was true. Scott saw the realization in her eyes and he went to the middle of the room, taking the snow globe off the pedestal.

"This is my snow globe, just as these are the globes of previous Santas," he explained, holding out the globe to Crys. She hesitantly took it and gazed into it. There were houses inside, even one that looked exactly like her house. A red sleigh flew over the houses, the person riding in it looking both like Santa Claus and Scott. Crys finally felt a bit of that wonder pierce her heart and she almost felt like a kid again.

"See? See, Uncle Scott? She does believe you," Lucy cried out. Crys couldn't take her eyes away from the snow globe in her hands. It was unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Crys, this snow globe is very important. It could be bad if it landed in the wrong hands," he said carefully to her. For a minute, she thought he had been talking about her, but his expression said otherwise. Perhaps he had noticed how much time she had been spending with Jack. She handed the globe back to him and he set it on the pedestal with ease.

"Crys, I want to ask you for two favors," he pleaded her. Crys felt a sinking feeling stomach. "First, I want to ask you not to say anything about this hall or about who I am." Crys nodded her head. Of course, she wouldn't say anything about that; everyone would think she was crazy. She still had that feeling that she wasn't going to like his next request.

"Second, I want to ask you to stay away from Jack Frost or at least spend less time with him. You don't know how much trouble he can really be," he said. Crys didn't know what to say. If she did agree, then she would be almost alone in this place. Plus, how could she stay away when he was always the one who found her? She didn't want to admit that there may have been yet another reason why she couldn't stay away from him.

"I'll try. I promise," she assured him, trying not to make her promise too specific. They left the hall after that, unaware that they had given Jack Frost entrance to the Hall of Snowglobes, or how much trouble it would soon cause.

Crys talked with Uncle Scott a little longer about his secret and then went off to explore the place. What was she supposed to do now that she had promised to stay away from Jack? She couldn't even stop thinking about him. Crys cleared her head and continued walking around on the top floor. She passed by the room that led to the Hall of Snowglobes and she saw the wall revolving around to reveal Jack Frost. She instantly stopped in her tracks, but Uncle Scott's warning rang in her head. She would have walked away then and there, had she not recognized the snow globe from the pedestal, the one that was now in Jack's hands.

"Let me guess, more mischief?" Crys calmly walked up to him, hoping he couldn't see the change in her eyes. This kind of trouble wasn't right, even by Crys' standards.

"Perhaps. Looking to join in?" Jack held the snow globe in front of her face. She needed to get it from him somehow.

"Actually..." Crys tried to grab the snow globe out of his hands, but he had seen her move coming. He lifted the globe out of her reach and smiled tauntingly down at her.

"I thought you enjoyed mischief, Crys. Where's that sense of fun?" Crys gave up trying to reach the globe. What was she supposed to do now?

"I do enjoy mischief, but this is going too far. Please, just give me the snow globe," Crys asked him, all the while fighting to stay patient.

"What's going on?" Lucy entered the room and saw the snow globe in Jack's hands. "That's Uncle Scott's snow globe; it doesn't belong to you! What are you doing with it?" Jack looked at Lucy as if she were truly pathetic and foolish.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Maybe. Besides, what are you planning to do?" For the first time, Lucy looked at Crys and saw the warning in her eyes. "I'll be right back, Crys!" Lucy dashed to the door, but not before she heard Jack's words.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said calmly. Crys looked at him, hoping to meet his eyes and plead with him, but he was avoiding her gaze. Lucy ran down the stairs as fast as she could and the first person she saw was her mother. "Mom, mom! You have to come quick! It's important!" Her mother saw the worry in Lucy's eyes and followed her up the steps.

The two of them charged into the room, but there was no sign of Jack Frost. Crys was lying on the floor, apparently unconscious. "Crys!" Lucy bent down to Crys and she could feel her breathing. Crys's eyes fluttered open and she started shaking her head at Lucy. A loud bang-the sound of the door closing-caused Lucy and her mother to jump up. Jack was standing in front of the door, watching them like a hawk watches its prey. Lucy felt fear fill her body as he slowly came closer.

"I told you not to do that, you silly little girl," he said as he closed in on them. Before Lucy could blink, a gust of wind was thrown in her face as Jack revealed the height of his powers. The iciness covered both Lucy and her mother, chilling them to the bone. They backed away into the closet, the cold sensation beginning to freeze them like statues. Crys could barely pick her head up, but she saw enough. Ignoring the dizziness, she forced herself to stand up and face him as he finished freezing her mother and sister. He turned to her, a smile forming on his lips.

"And you..." Crys kept her eyes on him. Somehow, she did not feel the same fear that Lucy must have felt only moments ago. "Don't worry, they're not technically dead." He must have known that she would be wondering something like that.

"Why did you do that?" She demanded, hoping he would not do the same to her. He quickly crossed the small space of the room and cornered her.

"You said you wished they would simply leave you alone. Now they will. I'm only doing what you asked, Crys," he said, turning the situation on her. _'No, it's not my fault! None of this is my fault!'_

"I didn't mean it like that! I don't want it this way!" Crys felt her eyes growing wet. A small tear slid down her face and Jack moved his hand to brush it away. His hand lingered there for a moment before he dropped it.

"I must admit, I am reluctant to do the same thing to you." Crys didn't know whether to feel relieved or whether to expect something worse. Still, it was difficult for Crys to feel hatred for him or even dislike. Crys only wished there was a way out of this, some more time for her to think. "Crys, I will leave you alone. Only if you give me one thing in return." Crys waited, but the silence and tension were too much.

"What do you want?" Crys wasn't sure she was prepared for his request.

"All I want from you, Crys...is a kiss."


	10. Frozen

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its ideas, characters, and places. I only own the character of Crys.

A/N: So, how did you guys like that interesting cliffhanger? Don't worry, this chapter is good! Will they kiss or not? Read and find out! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I am still loving all the good reviews! Thanks so much guys! (=

Chapter Ten: Frozen

Crys heard the request echoing over and over in her mind. She imagined running out of the room, but she knew she would never make it to the door. Then, she actually imagined kissing him and that idea seemed like a better one. Still...

"How do I know you won't trick me? How do I know you won't try to freeze me once I do...kiss you?" In her mind, Crys saw herself getting closer and closer to him, only to be chilled to the bone. Jack gave her a skeptical look.

"Crys, do you think I would try to trick you? Do you think I would really freeze you from the inside out? That sounds a bit cold," he said calmly. Crys considered her options again. She could leave, walk out those colorful glass doors for the price of one kiss. Did she even want to kiss him, after what had happened to Lucy and her mother? _Yes, I do..._Crys realized this as she willingly met his cool, blue eyes. Even so, Crys knew she would not leave unless she knew that snow globe was safe once again. She took a deep breath and made her decision.

Jack's eyes were trained on her face as she moved forward. His icy suit looked particularly icy under the glare of the lights. They were only mere inches apart now; Crys could feel the cool air surrounding him like an aura.

She placed her hands on his chest-he was colder than any winter imaginable-and she slowly moved her hands toward his neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her. There was a kind of hunger in his eyes now. Their lips lightly touched for a second and then finally met. It was like sparks exploding inside her. His lips were so cold against hers and that intimidating coolness seemed to fill every part of her body, but it felt good. She seemed to lose herself then. It was like time itself had stopped.

And then she felt him responding to her kiss. He began to kiss her back and he pulled her closer to him. She noticed that he didn't feel as cold as he had before. She stepped away from him and saw that a few patches of the ice on his suit were disappearing, as if her kiss had done something to make them begin to melt. _I wish the iciness didn't melt away,_ she thought as she focused on the melting ice. Suddenly, the ice stopped melting and it started to freeze up once again. Crys wondered if she had done that as well. Jack was staring down at her, trying to read her expression. She decided to prolong any chance of words and leaned back into him to kiss him once again. She felt him losing himself in her kiss and she took her chance.

She tugged the snow globe out of his hand and dashed for the door. Jack stumbled for a minute. She was almost to the door when she just...stopped. Her legs wouldn't move off the floor. She could still see the door, but no matter what she did, her body wouldn't get any closer to it. She glanced down at her feet and saw they were frozen up to her knees. Jack walked around her and took the snow globe from her hands.

"That was a good try, Crys. Very clever. I'm still reluctant to freeze you," he admitted with a smile. He turned to the closet door and Crys' frozen family. He shut the doors tight and, almost as an afterthought, froze the handles of the closet door until they became one whole glacier of ice. "I'm sorry, Crys," he said. He sounded as though he meant it. He closed the doors behind him and Crys was left alone, frozen in place.

She began looking around for something to use to chip the ice from her legs, but there was nothing. She couldn't even feel her legs anymore; they were completely numb under the white ice. Crys even thought about kicking in the closet door and maybe grabbing a piece of wood, but she was too far away. There was nothing to use. The cold was spreading through her legs and she felt that she would have dropped to the floor had it not been the ice holding her still.

Crys put her hands against the ice, wishing her legs would warm up at least a little. Almost instantly, the ice became thinner and she could feel the jeans of her legs. Crys glanced at her legs and saw that the ice was slowly melting away under her touch. The water soaked into the carpet underneath her feet as the rest of the ice faded away. She didn't understand how it had happened, but she was free.

Jack Frost was heading to Carol's room. He hid the snow globe out of sight and he would wait for the best time to use it to his advantage. He couldn't seem to erase Crys from his mind, especially what had just happened between them. What was it about her anyway? He shook his head and was determined to forget Crys for the time being. Besides, she had every reason to hate him now.

He finally reached the room and found Carol inside with Scott. She was busy finishing up the decorating of their tree, all the while not trying to strain herself too much. Scott was paying minimal attention to Carol, even though she kept calling him over. Carol turned when she heard Jack enter and she smiled warmly. He could see she was trying hard to hide her sadness and disappointment. He returned her smile and moved to help her with the final touches on the tree. He had to do something drastic, something that would completely devastate Scott. If only Crys was here...

"The tree looks absolutely beautiful. Don't think so, Jack?" Carol gazed at the tree in wonder, her eyes becoming bright with delight.

"It is beautiful, Carol," a voice said from the doorway before Jack could answer. He stiffened when he recognized the voice all too well. There was Crys, standing calmly against the doorframe as if nothing had happened only minutes ago. She was smiling at Carol and her eyes gradually moved to Jack.

There was something there in her eyes, something like sadness but not quite. Something that looked like...heartbreak. Jack watched her as she went to Carol and hugged her with a kind of warmth that came from a daughter hugging her mother. Did Crys actually want her mother then? And how had she managed to get unfrozen? No one could break through such coldness and ice once Jack Frost decided to freeze them.

"Carol, there's something I have to tell you," Crys said. Carol looked at her with concern.

"Crys, can it wait until after we finish the tree? We still have to put the star on the top." Crys grasped Carol's arms tightly and begged her with her eyes. She pulled Carol away from the tree, hoping Jack wouldn't overhear their conversation. All the while, Jack came up with an idea to cause the last necessary bit of trouble. He noticed that Carol and Crys were facing away from him. He carefully bent to reach the bottom of the tree and unscrewed one of the pegs holding the tree up. Wait until they saw this tree fall.

"Crys, Carol is right. We should put the star on the top first. Scott, do want to put the star on the tree?" Jack motioned to Scott, who had finished what he was doing. He looked to Carol, who looked desperate for Scott to join them. Crys narrowed her eyes at Jack and he simply shrugged.

"Sure, let's get that star on the top," Scott agreed as he climbed onto a ladder to reach the top of the tree. Carol handed him the crystal star that was covered with a mixture of colored lights. Jack slid to the back of the group and waited. Crys kept her eyes on Jack, her expression holding so many emotions that she became hard to read. Carol was near the tree, looking so happy as Scott brought the star closer to the top. Jack wished Carol would move away a little; he didn't want her to fall with the tree, especially if she could lose her baby.

"So, Crys. Remind me again why you were sent here. It was because you made a Christmas tree crash, right?" Carol looked from Jack to Crys and back again. Crys' face was filled with confusion; she knew she had explained this to Jack and she wasn't sure what he was up to.

Scott finally edged the star onto the top and cautiously stepped off the ladder to view the tree. Jack frowned as nothing happened. Then, just as everyone was joyful that the tree was done, it leaned forward the slightest bit. _There we go, come on,_ Jack thought as it started to fall. He glanced at Carol again. _Why won't she move? _Crys' eyes were focused on the tree and he suddenly realized that she knew what was about to happen. She looked to Carol, just as he did a minute ago.

The tree abruptly lost its balance. Crys, without another thought, jumped for Carol and managed to push her out of the way and onto the couch. The tree crashed and pinned Crys under it. Jack should have been ecstatic that his plan was working the way he wanted it to, but he could only see Crys, lying under the tree and not moving. Carol gasped and Scott hurriedly lifted the tree. Crys attempted to get up, but she dropped to the floor again. Jack was the only one standing still as Carol and Scott helped to pick her up. Scott carried her to the couch and checked for a pulse. Her eyes fluttered, but she didn't regain consciousness.

Carol faced the broken, fallen tree with its shattered ornaments and ruined crystal star. She knelt by the star and started to pick up the pieces. Tears rolled down her face and her breathing grew heavy. The pieces of glass fell from her shaking hands as she tried to put the pieces back together. Scott placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. Everything was broken now and there seemed to be no way to fix it.

"I...I can't do this anymore," Carol murmured before she began sobbing into her hands. Scott looked at her with dismay, and then glanced at Crys' weak, unconscious form on the couch. He silently nodded to Jack and then left the room. Jack paused by Crys' body and felt a pang of regret deep inside him. He reached out to lift a strand of red hair from Crys' beautiful face and then followed Scott outside to finish what he had created.


	11. Changed

Disclaimer: Hey, guess what? I am like every other person on this site because I am not the lucky person who owns this series! )= Oh, well. At least I own the character of Crys. That's it.

A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I'm trying to juggle three different stories (two-including this one-I am trying to finish up). Thanks for the reviews and the encouragement to keep going! So, enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 11: Changed

It was barely snowing as Scott and Jack stepped onto a balcony. They could still hear Carol's soft cries and the lines on Scott's face deepened.

"That was quite a spectacle, wasn't it?" Jack said, hoping Scott would take the bait. Behind his back, he held a gift bag that only held one item. The image of Crys filled his head and the memory of their intimate moment together bobbed to the surface. It was too bad she was lying almost lifeless, thanks to him. Jack shook his head once. What was wrong with him? He couldn't be feeling sympathetic for Crys now, not when he was about to get what he wanted.

"Anyway, I'm not sure I can take much more of this," Scott was saying. Jack was so busy thinking about Crys that he failed to catch most of what Scott had said. Oh, well.

"Here's something to cheer you up." Jack pushed the bag into Scott's hands. Scott immediately tried to refuse it.

"I don't really feel like opening presents right now, Jack." Scott leaned forward on the railing of the balcony and looked down at a group of elves that were throwing snowballs at one another. "When Crys first came here, I thought she would be given the chance to change. I guess she really hasn't changed at all," Scott whispered as he became lost in his thoughts.

"Oh, come on. Forget all that bad stuff. Open it," Jack insisted, urging the bag forward again. Scott glanced from the bag to Jack and back again before nodding.

"Alright, I'll open it." Scott took the bag from Jack. Now, it was the difficult part. Scott had to say the right words for this to work.

"Are there ever any times when...you wish you had never become Santa?" Scott paused while picking out a piece of tissue paper from the bag. He seemed to be thinking long and hard about that question.

"No, there never are. I don't want to change anything." Scott returned to the bag and carefully took out a few more pieces of tissue paper. Jack was watching him, all the while feeling a bit irritated.

"Really? Never at all?" Jack knew Scott was hiding the truth. He was a good enough liar to know when someone else was trying to lie. He had told Crys as much not too long ago. _Stop thinking about Crys! Get him to say the words! _

"Maybe these past few days have been stressful. I guess this is one of those times where I wish I hadn't become Santa," Scott admitted in a low voice. Jack smiled as his hook set into Scott. Now it was time to snap the trap.

"At all?" Jack noticed that Scott was getting ready to dump out the contents of the bag.

"At all. I wish I had never become Santa at all. There, happy?" Scott stated as he unknowingly dropped his own snow globe into his hands. Jack stared at it both wondrously and victoriously. Scott looked down at the globe and then realized what had happened.

"I am now," Jack said, grabbing onto Scott as the two of them disappeared into the past.

Crys awoke from her uneasy sleep to find herself in her own bed at home instead of Carol's couch. The North Pole was gone along with the fallen Christmas tree and its equally broken crystal star. There was her desk with all its cluttered items and her guitar in the corner. It seemed so long ago that she played "Stairway to Heaven" on its strings. That was before she had been taken away...

Had it all been just a dream? Her frozen sister and mother, Carol's sadness, Jack...had any of it been real at all? Crys leaped from her bed and raced down the stairs, taking two of them at a time. She nearly slipped on the hallway rug as she made her way to the kitchen. There was her mother, unfrozen, standing by the stove and making dinner. _What time is it, anyway?_ Crys saw the clock on the wall, its time reading 7:00 at night. _I slept for such a long time! _

"Well, don't just stand there! Lucy and your father will be home from the North Pole soon and the table isn't even set yet!" Crys gave her mother a strange look and went to retrieve some of the washed plates from the dishwasher. "Kids, I swear..." her mother muttered under her breath.

"Mom, are you okay?" Crys knew her mother didn't act like this unless she had done something. "What did I do?" Her mother whipped around with a look of pure annoyance on her face.

"How about we start by talking about what you're not doing? For one thing, you're not setting the table like I told you to," she snapped before returning to the food that was frying on the stove. _Something's definitely wrong here. I don't know what it is yet, but there's something wrong, _Crys thought as she laid out the plates with napkins, forks, and glasses. The doorbell rang loudly through the house, but her mother made no move to answer it. Crys sighed and went to see who it was. _Please, let it be Lucy. Let me see her warm, smiling face again,_ Crys prayed as she opened the door.

"Uncle Scott!" Crys exclaimed before hugging him tightly. She recognized him even though he no longer looked like Santa Claus. He looked like a normal, business-working man with a suit and clean face and everything. _What is going on? _

"Crys, do you remember...anything?" Crys instantly knew what he was talking about. She could also tell that he was holding on to the last thread, hoping that she might have those same memories even though everything had changed. There was a desperation in his eyes that scared Crys.

"I remember everything. I remember the North Pole, the Hall of Snowglobes, Carol's falling Christmas tree with the crystal star, everything." Scott breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. Look, Jack Frost tricked me into making everything change like this. Remember the snow globe? He had it and he tricked me. Crys, where's Lucy?" Scott peered behind her to see an angry looking Laura. Crys allowed her to pass her in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Laura's tone was dripping with acid. Even Crys flinched. Scott held up his hands as if in surrender.

"All I want to do is find Lucy. Where is she?" Laura strode to a hallway table and grabbed a flyer to show Scott. It had the words "North Pole" on it in bright, flashing colors. It was advertising the place like an amusement park. Scott scoffed at it before handing it back. Crys caught a glimpse of it as her mother crumpled it into a ball. "Frost is ruining everything. I'm going to make this better," he promised, his eyes straying to Crys as he said this.

"I'm going with you," she said without asking. Scott started to shake his head but Crys held onto his arm. "Please. Lucy is my little sister and I need to find her! I need to see her," Crys begged. Scott stared hard at her and then nodded carefully. Crys' mother broke the contact between them like a knife cutting fiercely through skin.

"Absolutely not. Crystal isn't going anywhere. Crystal, this is my house and as long as you live under my roof, you'll follow my rules!" Crys' mother screeched, using the old cliché lines. Crys suddenly had the urge to say something that she once might have said in any normal fight with her mother.

"Screw your rules," Crys yelled back at her as she followed Scott out the door.

"What happened to Lucy?" Scott asked Crys about a half hour after they had been driving. Crys had her forehead against the cold surface of the window. She was becoming depressed as she thought about Lucy, her mother, and the immense trouble she had gotten herself into this time.

"What do you mean?" Scott looked at her in disbelief.

"Well, you seemed so desperate to come with me and see Lucy. Did anything happen to her before things changed?" Crys didn't want to talk about it, but she had to tell him sometime.

"Jack...he froze my mother and Lucy before everything changed. He froze my legs, but somehow I managed to get out of it," Crys explained in a quiet, sorrowful voice. "It was all my fault," she continued as tears welled up in her eyes. Scott reached out a hand to her.

"No, it's not your fault. If anything, it's my fault for letting things get so out of hand. We'll find Lucy, we'll change everything back to normal, and then we'll do something about Jack Frost. We'll find a way to strip him of his powers, if it comes to that." Scott removed his hand from Crys' shoulder and all there was was silence.

Crys didn't acknowledge that she had heard the words. Her mind was saying that it was the best thing to do. Her heart was telling her something entirely different. It was telling her that she didn't want to imagine anything severe happening to Jack or his powers. If it came to that, then there would be no beautiful snowflakes to heal her heart anymore.


	12. Finding Jack

Disclaimer: I do not own this series or any ideas, characters, or places from the series. The only thing I own in this story is the character of Crys. Other than that, I own nothing (not even the plot, really) while writing this story.

A/N: I hope you guys are liking the story so far and thanks to everyone who gave me such good reviews. I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I am very sorry. Life is kind of getting in the way of my fanfic habits. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 12: Finding Jack

It was late in the night-almost nine-thirty-when Crys and Scott were able to catch a plane to their destination. Just as the plane had finished lifting off into the air, Crys fell into a deep sleep. It was strange how she could sleep for such a long period of time and still have some room for more sleep. The only thing stranger than that was Crys' dream.

She was standing in a field that was blanketed in frosty snow. The wind sent her red hair flying in thousands of directions, but she couldn't feel its coolness. All she could hear was the wind whispering around her. Crys decided to move towards her left, even though there was nothing remotely interesting in sight; it was all trees and white snow on a barren field.

_Crys..._A soft, haunted voice stopped her. It was coming from behind her. Crys turned to see the image of Lucy, blue and shivering from the ice that hung off her thin body. The light in her normally warm eyes was fading as Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. Crys ran for Lucy, but she never seemed to reach her. Every time she held out a hand to Lucy, she would simply shiver even more and become more distant. _Crys, why won't you help us? You're the only one who can,_ Lucy whispered to Crys, even though her pale lips weren't moving. Her small, childlike voice seemed to be inside Crys' head. That was when Crys realized she couldn't speak at all; her lips wouldn't move or form any words when she urged them to.

_Lucy! Wait, please don't leave me! _Lucy faded until Crys could see the snowy hills behind her. In another instant, she was gone and she left no trace that she had ever been there. Crys paused and glanced around her, but it was a deserted, endless land of white snow. _What am I supposed to do? There's no one here now,_ Crys speculated as she racked her brains for an answer.

_I'm here,_ a familiar voice came from her left. There stood Jack Frost, only inches away from her. She wasn't sure how she failed to notice his presence before. He smiled down at her and lifted a hand to her face to brush away a piece of fallen hair. Crys' heart started racing as his hand lingered there before tracing the curve of her chin. His hand lifted her face to his so that their lips almost met.

_I can't...you're the one who did this to Lucy,_ she forced her words at him. She tried to channel her anger and hurt into those words, but they seemed unable to come to her. Shouldn't she be angry and hurt? She didn't know anymore; it felt too good to have him close to her.

_You have to choose, Crys. It's either them or me,_ his response targeted her mind. They echoed inside her head for a while. Crys wasn't exactly sure which she would have chosen, but she could feel him closing in on her. Before she realized it, her normal clothes were changing into a pure icy blue dress that seemed to be made from snowflakes and ice itself. Jack eyed the dress on her and smiled to show he liked it. He brought her close to him and Crys felt their lips touch just as everything in the dream went dark, slipping out of her fingers as easily as the night wind.

_Jack..._

Crys woke up in her seat as the plane was touching down to the ground. Scott was beside her and shaking her awake. The last remnants of the dream were fading away into the back of her mind. All Crys could remember was the idea of being so close to Jack, their bodies only inches apart. _I really have to find a way to dig myself out of this hole I've gotten myself into,_ Crys thought to herself unhappily. It was hard for her to wrap her head around this, especially since her mind demanded one thing while her heart demanded something entirely opposite.

Crys gazed out the window and forced the images of the dream to disappear. Outside, the clouds were dispersing and she could see the roof of one of the buildings in the North Pole. Thousands of small beings-something she suddenly realized as people-were gathered around the building. _Are all those people waiting in line? For what? _Crys wondered if Lucy was one of those people. Scott looked over Crys' shoulder and immediately frowned as he saw the group of people.

The plane finally hit the ground and Crys lurched forward in her seat. Every kid jumped up and pulled the hands of their parents to hurry up. Crys sighed and felt her stomach twist a bit. She wasn't sure she was ready for what might come next.

…

The North Pole looked exactly the same as Crys last saw it, except for the fact that it was like a theme park of some kind. Thousands of young children rushed around, demanding toys and dragging their parents' hands. Large banners advertised the special shows and features of the newly transformed North Pole. It wasn't the secret, magical place that Crys remembered. _God, what has Jack Frost done to this place?_

Crys looked to Scott, only to find him shaking his head solemnly at the sight. A deep frown hung on his face as his eyes roamed over the place he once knew. Crys opened her mouth to say something—what, she didn't know—but Scott pulled himself together and started for the toy factory entrance. Crys had no choice but to follow him.

If she thought it looked bad on the outside, it was ten times worse on the inside. Kids screamed for toys and some were even fighting each other for the presents. A long line led to a station where parents could pay money to have their kid placed on the nice list instead of waiting for the regular routine. The reindeer were laughed at and scorned by younger children. Crys felt her heart grow heavy; it was too much to take in.

"Lucy must be here somewhere. Maybe we should start looking for her," Crys suggested. Scott nodded slightly, but otherwise gave no sign that he had heard her. That grim look had returned and it made Crys want to say something to fix it, but no words came.

"This is all happening because of me," Scott said in a depressed tone. "It's my fault that the North Pole is like this." He shook his head in dismay. Crys stepped in his path, forcing him to look down at her.

"This isn't your fault. You weren't the one who caused this. The only way we're going to fix this is if we do something, not standing around and regretting what happened," Crys reasoned with him. To her surprise, Scott began to smile. He nodded his head and took one last long look at the place around him.

"You're right, Crys. You're right. First, we should find Lucy. Then, we can deal with Frost and—"

"Hello, sir. Hello, Miss. Can I interest you in some of our merchandise today?" Curtis was standing there, dressed ridiculously in a red and green elf outfit. Crys glared at it in disgust as Curtis waited for their response. Scott was staring at him in disbelief.

"Curtis! Curtis, it's you! What has Frost done to this place?" Scott looked ready to hug Curtis even though he was giving Scott a strange look, the kind you give someone who is standing in front of you without any clothes on. Crys was still eyeing Curtis's outfit.

"More importantly, what are you wearing?" Curtis glanced down at his outfit and then glared at Crys. She returned the look, but he ignored her.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, sir. However, may I interest you in one of our snowflake pens? They are highly capable of recording any sounds you wish to record. Like so," he spoke into the top of the blue snowflake pen. He pressed a small button on the side. _Like so,_ the pen announced in a shrill voice. Crys rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Look, Curtis. We need to find Jack Frost immediately. It's kind of an important situation," she explained carefully. Curtis simply stared back at her with an equally annoyed expression.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I don't think I can be of assistance to you. However—"

"However…why don't you show us to Jack Frost or I'll make you wish you were never born," Crys said in a sickly sweet tone. Curtis's eyes widened and it looked as though he had forgotten how to breathe. Scott grabbed Crys's arm and pulled her aside.

"Crys! We want to figure out how to get to Frost. We can't do that if you're threatening Curtis's life," he stated. Crys crossed her arms and sighed dramatically.

"Okay, sorry. Old habits die hard, right?" Scott gave her a warning look before returning to Curtis. Crys was surprised that he was even still standing there. If she had been in Curtis's place, she figured she would have at least called security by now.

"Sorry about that," Scott apologized. "Curtis, listen to me. We need to find Frost. Something has gone wrong here and we need help." Curtis shook his head and started to turn away. Just then, a couple of larger men in suits approached them. Definitely security potential. _Oops,_ Crys thought. _I guess Curtis wasn't so foolish after all. _One man tried to grab ahold of Crys's arm, but she managed to pull away. The other was getting ready to grab onto Scott. He struggled against the man's grip.

"Curtis, please! Where's Frost? Curtis, where's Frost?" Scott's voice rose as he struggled to break free and the other man had pinned Crys's arms behind her back in a painful way. The two guards started to lead them to the entrance, but a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Looking for me?" They had finally found Jack Frost, or rather the new Santa Claus.


	13. Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any places, ideas, events, or characters (sadly, this includes Jack frost) of this trilogy. The only thing I own is the character of Crys. All else does not belong to me.

A/N: The reviews I have gotten for this story are really good and they have kept me writing. And I know…I am completely evil for building such unimaginable suspense (MUAHAHAHA!). Anyway…I'm hoping to wrap this story up soon as I am doing with a couple other stories of mine. For now, keep reading on and keep the amazing, inspiring reviews coming!

Chapter 13: Confrontation

Jack Frost stood at the top of a small staircase, watching Scott and Crys expectantly with his icy blue eyes. He was dressed in the typical red Santa suit even though he was still somewhat on the thin side. An icy beard framed his face, but Crys could still see the victorious smile playing on his lips. He didn't appear to be the same Jack Frost she had gotten to know.

"What the hell have you done to this place?" Crys blurted the words out before she could stop them. Like a vulture, Jack's eyes centered on her and his smile grew.

"Well, what do you know? Sleeping Beauty has finally woken up," he said as he descended the stairs. Once he was within arm's reach of her, he placed his hand beneath her chin and gently brought her face up so she was looking directly in his eyes. "You know, I'm still searching for a Mrs. Claus, if you're interested."

Crys swiped his hand away, which brought a quick wave of anger to his eyes. Scott was glaring at Jack Frost, but he didn't seem to notice. She was about to reply with something like "I'd rather choke on a candy cane" or "I'd rather die", but she sensed that neither of these statements would be true. If anything, it would only amuse him even more. At that moment, she recalled her dream and she struggled to make sense of what the truth would be. _The truth is that you want him,_ a tiny thought in her mind fought to be heard. Crys emptied her mind of all these things as best she could.

"Like that would ever happen," she finally retorted. It wasn't entirely a lie; she didn't think anything like that would ever happen anytime soon. Instead of the expected anger, a hint of satisfaction covered Jack's face.

"Still as feisty as ever. I like it," he said to her. The confirmation of his approval sent a chill down Crys' s back, but it was not completely unpleasant. He turned away from Crys—waving his hand dismissively—and climbed one of the steps behind him so that he was once again towering over Scott and Crys. "Besides, this is the new North Pole. Don't you like it?" Jack gestured around the toy factory with its screaming children, long lines, and miserable elves and reindeer.

"Frost, this isn't right and you know it's not," Scott argued as he climbed the steps to face Jack. "I'm the real Santa Claus, remember?" Scott said this just loud enough so Jack and Crys could hear. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Not anymore. Now really, who was the one who did all this? Who was the one who made all of this happen? It certainly wasn't me. Who was the one who said 'I wish I had never become Santa at all'?" Crys sighed as she saw the far look on Scott's face. And just after she had given him a clear, motivational talking-to. That was the last time she would ever give advice or any inspirational input.

"What?" Scott looked as though he hadn't heard what Jack had said. Crys looked at him in confusion, wondering what he meant to do. Jack sighed and threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"I said…who said "I wish I had never become Santa at all?" Jack said each word carefully and prolonged each syllable. Scott nodded his head as if he finally understood. "Good luck trying to fix this huge mess of yours. I happen to be enjoying it wonderfully." Jack gave one last amused look at Crys before he turned and disappeared through the crowd. Crys hurried over to Scott, the confusion still set on her face.

"What was all that about?" Crys watched as Scott held up the snowflake pen he had taken from Curtis and, hitting the button, Jack's voice came back to them. Crys stared at the pen in disbelief. Scott simply smiled victoriously, much like Jack had done a few moments ago.

"I have a plan."

….

Ahhh! There's a little bit of that suspense again! (= I hoped you liked this chapter (even though I think it was a little short) and I will hopefully have the next chapter up soon for you guys! Keep on reading!


	14. Distractions

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its characters (yes, including Jack Frost), events, ideas, or places. The only thing I own while writing this story is the character of Crys.

A/N: Another chapter closer to the end (and sorry for the last one being so short). Someone reviewed my story and asked if I was planning to make a sequel. When I first began writing this story, I didn't really intend to make a sequel at all. After thinking about that question, I recently came up with a couple ideas that I may be able to put into a sequel. Just thought I would let you know so you guys can watch out for it if I do decide to write one up. Otherwise, thank you for all the amazing reviews (they've been so helpful and motivational) and I hope you keep on reading (sorry for the long author's note!).

Chapter 14: Distractions

After listening through Scott's plan—with some doubt that it would actually work—the two of them went separate ways. Crys was attempting to push through the crowd in hopes of finding the area where the advertised show was being held. _If there's anywhere Lucy would be in this place, it would be there. The kid loves to be entertained,_ she thought as she pushed aside an older woman who was carrying four large presents in her hands. The collision caused the presents to crash to the floor with the distinct sound of delicate glass.

"Hey! Those were expensive, young lady," the woman scolded her as if she were a little child. Crys smirked at her and glared.

"Like I care," she retorted before moving on. She could still hear the woman muttering and cursing under her breath. The only thing Crys was concerned about was Lucy and seeing her again after what had happened to her. That and what she was going to do about Jack once they returned everything to normal.

After another ten minutes of wandering around, Crys finally found a large sign that pointed in the direction of a wide hall with closed wooden doors. In front of the doors stood two elves that clearly acted as guards for the show. One of them was a little shorter than Crys with blonde, curly hair. The other was Curtis, still wearing that hideous outfit. His eyes were narrowed and it looked as though he were keeping his guard up in case anything happened. _Great…the perfect way to make my job more difficult._ Crys sighed and decided to get it over with. The minute Curtis saw her approaching, he stiffened and gave her a wary look.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to make your life miserable or make you wish you were never born. Sorry I said that," she apologized in the calmest, nicest tone possible. Curtis gave her a look that suggested he didn't believe her. "Look, I need to find my sister and I think she may already be in there, so I'll just go—"

"Sorry. Admission to this area and this show ended about ten minutes ago. You're not allowed in," he bitterly informed her. Crys placed her hands on her hips and gave Curtis a suspicious look. _Now, why don't I believe you?_ Curtis just stood there and motioned for her to turn around and leave.

"Listen, this is important. My little sister is in there and I really need to speak to her. I'll be out in five minutes. How about that?" Crys was praying that Curtis let up and allowed her to enter. She became hopeful when he suddenly smiled and nodded his head. _Oh, thank God!_

"Really? Well, in that case…no," he replied. Crys felt her hope being crushed and anger filled her. _What am I going to do now? _Then an idea hit her and it seemed so crazy that she didn't know if it would work or not. _Still, I have to try something…_

"Sorry about this," she said as she reached out and gripped the sides of their necks. Simultaneously, the two elves went still, their legs buckled, and they fell to the floor unconscious. Crys stepped back and smiled. _Who knew all those fights back home would come in handy? _Still smiling, Crys pushed the double doors open and carefully stepped over the two bodies.

Almost immediately, Crys saw Lucy sitting up near the front of the audience, holding a small toy, and talking to their father. After another minute, he reluctantly stood up and headed out another set of double doors closer to the front. Crys started down the aisle, moving past a group of loud, energized children as she did, and finally turned into Lucy's row. The minute Lucy saw her, she gave her a confused look followed by an eye roll that she only could have learned from Crys. Even so, Crys still stooped down to embrace her sister in a way she had never done before.

"Oh, Lucy, it's really you! You're here," Crys sighed with relief while Lucy struggled to break free. She pushed Crys off her and smoothed down her red hair.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be home with mom? Aren't you not supposed to go out when you're grounded?" Lucy hugged her stuffed animal close to her as she interrogated her big sister. Crys didn't mind the questions; she was only glad that Lucy wasn't frozen anymore.

"Never mind, Lucy. Listen, you have to do something for me and it's really important that you do," she pleaded with her. Lucy only looked back at her with unsure eyes and shook her head.

"I'm supposed to stay here. I'm staying here," she emphasized in her tiny voice. She turned her head back to the stage as if anticipating the beginning of the show. Crys gently took Lucy's wrist, forcing Lucy to look back at her.

"Lucy, please. This is important and you know I wouldn't ask you for something if I didn't really need it," she begged her sister. Crys prayed that she could get through to Lucy. Her little sister pouted her lips and seemed to be thinking. Finally, she nodded her head and pulled her toy tighter against her.

"Okay, what's so important? Is it a present?" Lucy's eyes widened until they looked like they were going to pop out of her head. Crys laughed and realized she suddenly missed how her sister could get so excited about something as small as a wrapped box.

"No, Lucy. It's something better than that. It's an entire hall filled with snow globes," she explained. Lucy's eyes lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. A bright smile crossed her face and Crys knew she had gotten Lucy's attention. _The kid loves snow globes, that's for sure._

"Where? Where is it, Crys? I want to see it," Lucy said, practically jumping up and down in her seat. Crys had to hold Lucy by her shoulders in order to make her pay attention again.

"Lucy, I'll tell you where it is. Once you get there, though, you have to do something. You need to grab the snow globe that is in the very middle of the room. Got it? In the middle of the room," Crys told her patiently. Lucy nodded vigorously and listened intently to Crys's directions to the hall and how to gain access to it.

Instinctively, Crys turned her head to the double doors where she entered. She watched as Curtis—awake and aware—was leading two other elves down the aisle, looking into each row as they passed. _They're looking for me,_ she thought. She looked towards the other set of double doors, but another pair of elves were coming from that direction as well. _There's nowhere for me to run. They're going to catch me. _

"Okay, Lucy. Wait for a distraction and then find your way to the Hall of Snowglobes. Remember what I told you," Crys hurriedly repeated as she focused on the groups of elves that were moving closer to their row.

"What distraction? How will I know when to go?" Lucy tugged on Crys's sleeve. The elves were now two rows down from where they were located.

"Ummm…trust me, you'll know it when you see it," she said, not really giving Lucy her full attention. The two groups of elves were so close now…

All of a sudden, yelling and jumping came from the back of the room as Scott ran across the benches of each aisle. Crys had to wonder how he had made it into the audience. Curtis pointed—Crys almost suspected that he had found her—and the other group of elves started running and chasing Scott around the room. Crys had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"There she is! Get her," Curtis yelled, this time pointing straight at Crys. She gave Lucy one more glance and then rushed past her only to see two elves guarding the exit of the row. Behind her, Curtis almost shoved aside Lucy and was coming closer. There was nowhere to turn anymore, unless…

Curtis grabbed Crys's arm just as she was about to follow Scott's lead and jump over the seats into the next row. Another elf nearly twisted her arm as they dragged her out into the aisle and towards the exit. Crys glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with Lucy for one second, but she hoped it was enough to remind her little sister how important her job was.

"Where are you taking me?" Crys glared at Curtis with all the anger she could muster, but he only smiled mockingly at her. "Stop twisting my arm!" she screamed at the other elf, who then jumped up about three feet into the air in fright.

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about. We're going to go see Santa himself," Curtis stated as they pulled Crys along. _Great…this should be interesting._

….

Lucy fidgeted in her seat, trying desperately to remember everything Crys told her. She said it all so fast and it felt like none of it made its way into Lucy's head. All she could think about was that huge hall of snow globes. It was probably really beautiful and amazing and she couldn't wait to see it. Lucy just didn't know how she was going to get there.

Elves surrounded the doors and there were so many parents moving around. She still didn't know where her dad was and he would probably be really mad if she left. Still, Crys said it was really important that she get one of the snow globes and Crys never asked anyone for help. _What should I do? _

Lucy sat back in her seat, holding her stuffed animal, and thought about Crys. She had seen the elves chasing after her and the way they dragged her out of the room. _She's probably going to be in a lot of trouble again._ She pictured Crys attempting to climb over the seats just as she got caught. Lucy shook her head, making her ponytail swing back and forth. _If only Crys were small, then she could crawl under the seats,_ Lucy thought. _That's it! _

Putting the stuffed animal beside a drink of soda that her dad bought, Lucy kneeled down and found she was the perfect size to crawl under the seats. She moved along, avoiding disgusting things like gum and spilled drinks until she reached a set of stairs. The stairs led to a door at the top, the only one that wasn't being guarded. She quickly climbed the stairs and slipped through the door.

Lucy found herself in another hallway. There was a colorful glass door on her right and she decided to try it. If only she could remember Crys's directions…

The room was a simple one that only had a closet and a machine across from the door. Lucy's eyes widened as she realized that this must be the room Crys was talking about. She ran over to the machine, not bothering to close the door, and punched in the code the way Crys told her. Almost immediately, the wall and Lucy revolved around to reveal a hidden room. _The hall of snow globes…_

There were dozens of snow globes floating around and Lucy thought it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. In the middle was a snow globe sitting on a pedestal. Lucy hurried over and grabbed it, taking one last look at the amazing snow globes before turning back to the revolving wall.

Lucy stopped in her tracks as she saw one particular snow globe floating in front of her face. It was a golden one that showed Santa riding his sleigh through the night. Lucy watched the Santa curiously and noticed that this Santa looked a little like her Uncle Scott. She knew Crys told her not to touch anything else, but…

Lucy reached out and placed her hand against the snow globe. Images flashed through her head, some too fast for her to see. The sleigh came around again and this time she clearly recognized Uncle Scott, waving his hand with a joyful smile on his face. That was when she remembered everything.

…

Okay, so I think that chapter was long enough to make up for the last chapter. Remember, leave a review to tell me what you guys think (all those amazing reviews help to motivate me to continue!) and I will let you guys know if I come up with a strong, solid idea for a sequel. If anyone has any ideas they want to share, feel free to let me know. (=


	15. Almost Normal

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Santa Clause trilogy because that would mean that I owned Jack Frost as well…but I don't. I don't own anything connected to the Santa Clause trilogy. The only thing I actually own is the character of Crys (but I still wish I owned Jack Frost! Only in my dreams…). **

**A/N: I'm so glad that I have break periods during school hours because it has helped me to update a bit. Thank you again to all of those readers who have taken the time (since the beginning) to read my story and give me such great reviews. I am pretty certain now that I am going to make a sequel to this story, so watch out for that after you've finished reading this one! Without further ado, here is the next chapter. **

**Chapter 15: Almost Normal**

Crys was dragged along down hallway after hallway until they finally reached a large door that led to Scott's old room. The soft, cheery music from the show had faded away long ago. The only sounds now were their breathing and intense shaking from the elf on her right. Once in a while, Crys would catch him peering at her from the corner of his eye, as if she were going to attack him or something. Curtis stared straight ahead, not wanting to make any contact with her except for his hand on her arm. Crys started to hate this situation with Curtis, hated that he wouldn't look her in the eye.

Finally, Curtis lifted a hand and knocked on the large door three times. The door creaked open and the two elves pushed her inside. She spun around to tell them off for being so harsh, but the door had already slammed shut.

Crys sighed and turned around to see an empty space where the Christmas tree would have been not too long ago. She could still see it swaying in her mind and her attempt to push Carol out of the way. Carol…she wondered where she was now. She recalled her words that she had previously been a principal at a high school, so she was probably sitting behind a desk without any clue that everything wasn't the way it was supposed to be. _We have to fix this…_

"Still getting into trouble, are we?" The voice came from almost right behind her. She didn't even hear him in the room with her. Crys remembered Scott telling her that she needed to find a way to distract Jack for as long as possible. She slowly faced him and was surprised to see that he was dressed in his normal, icy outfit.

"Old habits are hard to break," she replied with the same explanation she had given Scott earlier. She walked around him and studied the room. It was extremely similar to the way it was before, except for the tree. Jack's laughter came from behind her and she knew it was because of her comment. "Glad I amuse you," she said, turning to face him once more.

"You always amuse me, Crys," he said as his hand brushed the side of her face. A shiver traveled down her body, though she tried not to show it. _I need to stop doing that,_ she thought. Still, she moved closer to him. "Still considering my offer?" Crys remembered the confrontation with him earlier and a deep feeling—something like pleasure—made her heart beat faster.

"Maybe," she admitted as she bent her head back so her lips were inches from his. She wasn't sure that she was doing this deliberately anymore; it was simply happening. He moved closer to her and placed his hand around her waist. For the first time, Crys realized that he might actually kiss her here. The memory of their last kiss floated in her mind and the shiver returned—this time for a different reason.

"What are you planning?" Jack whispered to her, their lips still inches away. Crys froze and wondered if he knew this was happening for a reason. She decided to play the naïve card.

"Why would you think I'd be planning something?" Crys suddenly figured her error, but it was already too late. In a matter of seconds, Jack had Crys pinned against the wall. His hands were on either side of her head so that he was able to lean in towards her.

"Crys, you showed up here with Scott after everything changed. I have to assume you're trying to change things back," he explained. His blue eyes held hers and she felt she couldn't look away. "Why don't you tell me about it?" She immediately shook her head, but he wasn't giving up anytime soon. "Why not, Crys? You've told me so many things before," he reminded her.

She fought against the tide of memories, but it was no use. She remembered the time she had spent with him, of when they first talked and first met. Those were the times she missed now that everything had become so chaotic. _I can't tell you…_she thought in her mind. _The last time I got involved with you, you practically broke my heart. _She pictured her mother and Lucy frozen and her heart ached even more. She didn't bother to remind herself that that was before they kissed.

_Wait…wouldn't he have to already have you heart in order for him to break it?_ A small voice reasoned with her in the back of her mind, but she pushed it back. In the end, she shook her head once more, not willing to tell him what he wanted to hear. Jack's smile fell from his face and he leaned back, taking his hands away from her head.

"Sorry, Crys," he said, surprising her. Before she knew what was happening, he gripped her neck just as she had done to Curtis and dizziness enveloped her. She had no choice but to give in to the sensation that was wrapping around her and she fell into unconsciousness.

…

When Crys woke up on the couch, the first thing she noticed was that the tree was on the floor, its ornaments shattered along with the broken crystal star that had once stood at the top. It took her a moment to realize what this meant. _Everything's back to normal. _She jumped up from the couch and ran out the door, almost crashing into one of the elves.

"Sorry," she mumbled before making her way towards the main hall. Once she got there, she saw two elves escorting Jack Frost into the building. Scott looked like Santa Claus again and was standing next to Carol with a frown on his face. She caught some of their words just as she came up next to them. The other legendary figures were gathered around and Crys automatically knew this wouldn't go over well. The two elves released Jack and he smirked at Scott.

"Yeah? And?" There was clear bitterness in his voice as he spoke. Crys watched the exchange between Jack and Scott as though she were watching a tennis match.

"Jack, this is completely unacceptable. Of course, it will be Mother Nature's decision on the terms of what we should do about you," he said. Jack looked as though he didn't like the sound of that. Crys hoped things wouldn't become any worse than they already were.

Just then, Curtis and a couple elves—including the one she almost knocked over—came rushing into the hall. Behind them were Lucy and Crys's mother, still frozen. _Oh, no…_

"Santa! We just found these two in a closet upstairs and I'm pretty sure we know who did it," Curtis informed Scott while glaring pointedly at Jack. Mother Nature studied little Lucy and shook her head solemnly.

"Jack, unfreeze them!" Scott demanded Jack, but he simply laughed. Crys felt her stomach twist as he did so.

"I can't unfreeze them unless I unfreeze myself…and that is something I'll never do," he stated. Scott frowned and stared at Lucy's tiny frozen body. Crys felt warm tears burn at her eyelids. _There's nothing we can do…is there?_ The legendary figures were huddled together as though voting on a decision. The crowd waited, the air tense in the main hall. Finally, Mother Nature cleared her throat and held up her staff to catch everyone's attention.

"Our decision has been made. I hereby claim that the legendary figure Jack Frost will be stripped of his legendary powers."


	16. The Reason

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its characters (even Jack Frost), places, events, or ideas. I only own the character of Crys. **

**A/N: Only a couple more chapters left, I think. Of course, I have to thank the readers tremendously for all their awesome reviews. Each review had inspired me to keep writing so you guys could keep reading. (= Here's the next chapter for you and I hope you guys will continue to leave such great reviews until the very end. **

**Chapter 16: The Reason**

"No!" Crys leaped in front of Jack Frost and faced off against Mother Nature. She was defending Jack and so she could not see the amused—and a little shocked—expression on his face. Mother Nature sighed and the other legendary figures looked at her in distaste. Scott appeared surprised at Crys's actions and the Sandman simply yawned, prepared to use the floor as a bed. Crys spread her arms in front of Jack in defense. "Please don't do this," she begged Mother Nature.

"Crys, move. The decision has already been made," Mother Nature said in a voice that suggested she wasn't amused by this sudden spectacle. "Besides, look at what he's done to your family." She extended a hand to gracefully gesture towards Lucy. Crys felt her heart ache as she gazed at her sister's frozen body. For the hundredth time, she imagined her dream and she wondered if she was finally making her decision by choosing Jack. _No…I want to choose both of them. Why can't I have both? _

"I know, but—"

"Then why are you doing this?" Mother Nature interrupted Crys's murmuring with a stern voice. The other legendary figures behind her nodded in agreement. Crys thought of her little sister, her mother, and Jack Frost. It was too difficult to take one side. "Crys, step aside. There's nothing you can do for him, anyway," Mother Nature reasoned with her. Scott was watching her with sympathetic eyes, which only made Crys's decision all the more difficult.

"No, I'm not moving," she said. Mother Nature gripped her staff and loud uproars filled the room as everyone began complaining. Some of them—like Mother Nature—tried to console her and reason with her in hopes she would change her mind. But Crys's mind was already made up and she never changed it after that.

"Crys, he doesn't deserve to be defended by you," Scott said to her. Curtis was shaking his head with a look that said I-knew-it. Mother Nature stepped forward, the only thing in her eyes being seriousness.

"I understand that, but—"

"Then why do you insist on defending him? He's caused too much trouble as it is," Mother Nature argued with her. Crys started feeling annoyed that the graceful legendary figure would not give her a chance to speak. Maybe she wasn't interested in what Crys was going to say in defense of someone like Jack Frost.

"I think it's fair to say I've caused my own share of devious trouble in the past. I'm pretty sure most of it was close to being as bad as this," Crys pointed out. Mother Nature waved it off carelessly.

"That is different, Crys. The things you did were most likely because you were misunderstood. None of it was as bad as or worse than this." Crys felt a sad feeling swell in her throat, as if she were going to start crying any second. _Oh, please, no…_

"I beg to differ," Crys replied. "Please, can't you set another punishment? Ban him from the North Pole for a while? Anything but this…" Crys tried to think of more possibilities, but Mother Nature was already shaking her head vigorously.

"I'm sorry, Crys. The vote is unanimous. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Please, move," she urged Crys. She sounded as though the last of her patience was quickly dissolving. Jack looked from Mother Nature to Crys and back.

"If it makes any difference, I agree with all of Crys's options," he called out to Mother Nature. She shot him a deadly glare that quickly silenced him.

"I already told you. I'm not moving aside," Crys stated for the second time. She held her arms out even further to emphasize that she meant what she said. The people in the crowd were turning their heads, looking at each other in confusion. None of them could understand why Crys was so eagerly defending someone like Jack Frost. Mother Nature let out a loud sigh and stomped her staff against the floor. Crys didn't flinch, even though some of the other legendary figures and elves did. Scott wasn't looking at Crys anymore; she guessed he had given up on playing the sympathy card.

"Crys, why? Why are you doing this?" Mother Nature bit nervously down on her lip and waited for an answer. It wasn't an easy answer to give and it wasn't one that Crys wanted to give. She shook her head slowly, letting them know she wasn't going to tell. Mother Nature stepped closer to Crys, her expression one of concern. "Why are you acting like this? Why? Why?"

"Because…." Crys's voice trailed off as soon as she started. Mother Nature wasn't giving up, not by a long shot. Crys felt that the truth was going to explode out of her at any moment.

"Why?"

"Because I love him," Crys yelled back at her. Dozens of gasps came from the audience around them. Scott was staring at her as if she'd gone crazy and Mother Nature had her eyebrows raised in surprise. The other legendary figures began whispering back and forth. Crys wasn't ready to turn around and see what Jack's reaction was, though she was pretty sure it would be amusement. Mother Nature collected herself and put on the serious expression once more.

"Crys, surely you don't mean what you're saying. You don't know what you're saying," Mother Nature insisted. Crys lowered her arms for the first time since she raised them. She lifted her chin and stared Mother Nature in the eyes.

"Yes, I do. I didn't fully realize it until a little while ago, but it's true. I love him and that's my reason for acting this way. If that reason isn't good enough for you, then I'm sorry. I have nothing else to give you," Crys spoke strongly, fighting back the burning tears that were still threatening to fall. Mother Nature seemed like she was considering Crys's words. After a minute, she pushed her long, dark hair back from her face and frowned at Crys.

"I'm sorry," she said before raising her staff. Everyone watched her intently and Crys realized what she was going to do.

"No," she shouted before turning and holding onto Jack. Time felt like it had stopped completely. Jack held her close to him and she buried himself into his jacket. An odd sensation was wrapping around her as she held onto him, something almost…warm. She glanced up to see heat warming his face as he smiled down at her. "What's happening?" Crys gazed at him, wondering what she had done or what Mother Nature had done.

"I think…you're melting his heart," Mother Nature spoke softly. Crys embraced him again. _Please…melt his heart, but leave him the same way as when I first saw him,_ she thought, concentrating with all the strength she had. Crys lifted her head after a full minute to see Jack as he had always appeared. The only difference was that there was now a gentle smile for her and warmth in his face. When he brushed a hand across her face, it was still cool, but was warmer than what it had been. There was no longer a shiver running down her spine, except for the one she felt whenever she was close to him.

The sound of breaking ice behind her made her turn quickly. Lucy and her mother were breaking away from the ice that had enveloped them. They shivered and chunks of ice fell off their bodies while water ran down their faces. Even so, Lucy smiled when she saw Crys. Her mother looked around in disbelief.

"What happened?" Crys's mother gazed at Crys, not knowing what to say or do. Mother Nature, for the first time during this confrontation, laughed.

"It's a long story," she said. She gave Crys a knowing look and briskly walked away without any other words. Crys felt Jack's hand roaming through her hair and she wrapped her arms around him again, hoping that they could stay that way for a long time.

…..

It was evening and Crys was standing on a balcony outside of her room. She was watching the stars in the sky, loving how they were so beautiful and bright. Footsteps behind her made her smile; she was pretty sure she knew who her visitor was. Jack stepped out onto the balcony next to her, carrying a cup of hot cocoa.

"Want some?" Jack held out the cup to her and she eagerly tipped the cup to her mouth, the hot fluid wonderfully burning down her throat. She took a long sip and then handed it back to him. He smiled down at her while she kept her eyes on the stars above. "So…" Jack began awkwardly.

"What?" Crys laughed, waiting for him to continue. He took a long drink from the cup and then leaned back against the railing.

"You never explained one thing to me," he said. Crys stared at him in confusion. They had talked so much; it seemed she had told him everything.

"And what might that one thing be?" She was curious about what he was thinking as he smiled mischievously at her. There was a silence between them as she waited for his words.

"A simple question. Why is it that you dislike Christmas so much?" Crys frowned as she considered his one question. It was anything but simple. She gripped the railing and took a deep breath, preparing to tell her story.

...

Uh-oh. The big question has come up...well, you guys will have to wait for the next update for the answer. However, you can leave me a review so that the update will come up faster. I promise to get it up as soon as possible (maybe even by tomorrow!). Until then, review, review, review! (=


	17. One Last Story

Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its characters, places, ideas, or events. Sadly, this means I do not own Jack Frost. However, I do own the character of Crys and that's good enough for me.

A/N: Well, it pains me to say this, but this is the last chapter of the Crystal Clause. I am so thankful that there are readers out there who have taken the time to read my story and I'm even more thankful for the great reviews that helped me along the way. Don't worry though—there will be a sequel soon. Now, enjoy the last chapter and watch out for my next story!

Chapter 17: One Last Story

"His name was David," Crys began slowly. "He's the reason why I don't enjoy Christmas anymore. I was ten when I met him and thirteen when I lost him," she explained while she stared up at the glowing stars in the sky. She could remember those days like it had happened yesterday. "I met him after he had moved into the house across the street from mine. Our parents introduced us and we've been friends ever since. He was my best friend," Crys emphasized. Her voice was low—almost a whisper—but she knew Jack could hear every word. The more she told her story, however, the more she forgot he was there.

"Every year, I spent some of my Christmas with him. We would always exchange gifts and eat all the Christmas cookies his mom baked. It was probably the happiest time of my life." Crys smiled as she thought of all those Christmases and David with his sandy hair, warm smile, green eyes, and snowflakes covering his body.

"By the time I was thirteen, I thought I was in love with him. The two of us were inseparable. Besides that, I had never really been in love before," she admitted with a hint of blush in her face. Beside her, Jack laughed.

"Never? I'm not sure if I believe that," he said in disbelief. Crys rolled her eyes at his behavior and laughed as well.

"Well…unless you call having a stupid crush on Leonardo DiCaprio 'love'. No, David was the first one who had given me my first kiss. He was the first one I danced with at one of our small school dances in middle school. He was also the one who taught me how to play the guitar," she went on, once again slipping back into her memories. She recalled the morning that she had been sent to the North Pole—the morning when she had laid on her bed, playing "Stairway to Heaven" on her guitar. She had been thinking of David that morning; a morning that seemed to have existed years ago.

"Then came the day when everything took a turn for the worse. David had perfect attendance in school every year, but there was one day when he never showed up. My mother picked me up early from school and drove me to the hospital. She wouldn't answer my questions and her eyes were red like she had been crying. I knew then that it must be something bad because my mother never cried," Crys said, pausing to take a deep breath. Her breathing grew ragged, like she was fighting back the urge to cry.

"David had an episode during the night. Later on, he explained to me that he had felt a sharp pain near his stomach, one that extended all the way towards his back. He told me he had been feeling the pain for a while, but he didn't want to tell me because it would only make me worry. He had been taken to the hospital where the doctors ran hundreds of tests on him. Each one said the same thing. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer," she finally revealed as a single tear dropped from her eyes. Jack reached out a hand to hold hers, but still she did not look his way.

"The rest happened so fast. The doctors insisted they keep him in the hospital overnight. Overnight turned into a week and a half and he showed no sign of getting better. He never went to school and every time I visited him, he always seemed paler and paler, as if he were slipping through my fingers. It broke my heart to watch him suffer the way he did and I knew it hurt him to see me there, refusing to leave his bedside."

Crys stopped again. The hardest part was coming up and she had never shared this story with anyone before. Her hands slipped out of Jack's and gripped the railing until her knuckles turned white.

"It was Christmas Eve when the phone call came. I could hear my mother's voice from the kitchen and she was talking to David's mother. I remember feeling my heart jump into my throat and my stomach twist until it began to hurt. I knew something was wrong. A few minutes later, I heard her crying even though she was trying to hide it. Even Lucy was staring at the doorway to the kitchen, wondering what was wrong. Charlie was sitting on the couch behind me and he placed a hand on my shoulder, which only made it worse.

"When my mother came back into the living room, she simply looked down at me and I knew. She couldn't hide her tears this time; she just kept on crying until I felt tears filling my eyes as well. 'Crys, honey, I'm sorry,' I remember her saying. It was like I couldn't hear her; all I could think about then was David. 'Honey, David's gone,' she finally told me. I spent the night trying to understand it and I spent Christmas Day crying on my bed when the impact of it finally hit me.

"Every Christmas after that reminded me of him and I slowly grew to resent the thought of Christmas. It was just too painful to think about, much less enjoy. After that, I started acting rebellious and not listening to the comfort people offered me. To me, it was the easiest way I knew how to cope with things; to ignore them and pretend I didn't care. I guess I could never let go of my behavior.

"During the next year, my mother had the idea to send me to a boarding school for girls. She hoped it would make me more responsible and teach me a lesson. The only thing it did was make me even more rebellious.

"The interesting thing was that I had become close to David's sister, Rachelle, who was a year older than me. She had adopted the same behavior as me after David…" Crys's voice trailed off, not wanting to say those words. "Anyway, Rachelle had become my new best friend. It was my way of staying connected with the memory of David. She was also the one who got me in trouble with the cops, therefore landing me here," Crys finished, motioning around the room.

"Well, then I guess she deserves your gratitude," Jack said. It was one of the only things he had said since Crys began telling her story. She smiled at Jack, finally gazing at him with her bright, teary eyes.

"I guess so. If I never got in trouble and came here, I probably never would have met you. More than that, I think you finally saved me," she declared.

"Just as you have saved me," he replied, leaning down to bring his lips to her hand. "Besides, you met me long before you arrived here," he said, earning a confused look from Crys. Just then, snowflakes began to float down over the balcony where they were standing. Crys gazed up at them in wonder as they fell into her red hair. "Are you okay, now?" Jack asked her, a hint of concern in his blue eyes.

"I'm okay now," she assured him with a warm smile. The two of them remained on the balcony a long time after that—Crys with her head on Jack's shoulder and Jack sipping delicious hot cocoa—as they watched the beautiful snowflakes fall through the night.

The End…

…..

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed reading my story! Any last reviews would be awesome and hopefully I will get the sequel posted sometime soon. Otherwise, thank you again for taking the time to read my story; I couldn't have finished it without all of those devoted readers! (=


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